The Adventures of Nancy and Joe
by Peregrine2
Summary: Logan & Veronica with some Duncan. The three friends try to piece their lives back together. Completed.
1. Default Chapter

**Title**: Free at Last  
**Author**: Peregrine  
**Character**: Logan/Veronica with some Duncan  
**Spoilers**: Through Episode 22.  
**Rating**: M for language and sexual situations.  
**Feedback:**: Always appreciated.  
**Summary**: The three friends try to piece their lives back together while Logan hits the road with his wacky aunt. This story runs in tandem to my ficlet, The Truth is Fucked.  
**Disclaimer**: Veronica Mars and all its characters belong to Rob Thomas and UPN.

Randall, Kaufman, and Strieker

San Diego Law firm

Logan put his feet on the table and managed not to smirk when his Mom's lawyer sniffed in affront. "How's it shakin', Barry?"

Barry Randall ignored his sarcasm as he put on his glasses. "We've been expecting you."

"Swell. It's so nice to be wanted," he snarked, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the view of the ceiling.

"I'm sure you'd like to review your options," Barry stated as he opened a manila folder and glanced at its contents.

"Wow, you have this down cold. Did my Dad's agent find you a screenwriter, or is this like An Evening at the Improv?" Logan knew his attitude wasn't helping matters, but Barry was an easy target.

Barry pushed the folder at him. "I've prepared a summary of some possible life choices."

He twirled his hands dramatically and slid his boots off the table. "Didn't know I had any." Logan's eyebrows rose slightly at the information in front of him. "This is a pretty short list, Barry."

Barry nodded solemnly. "I know, but until you turn 18, your choices are pretty limited."

"I thought my Dad was loaded."

"He is, but the Kanes have filed a lawsuit against him and the judge has frozen all his assets. Until this thing is resolved, my hands are tied."

"What about my mother's art and all her personal effects?"

"We can put everything in storage until you're 18."

"Gee, I can hardly wait." Logan smiled glacially as he rattled the paper in his fingers. "So what do you recommend?"

"Go with option 1."

He crumpled the paper in his fist and tossed it at Barry. "Of course you'd say that. It's in your best interest to keep me on as a client. And what better way than shipping me off to Minnesota to live with Grandpa Echolls?"

Barry replied, "He's the only one who came forward."

Was that regret in Barry's voice? Wow, hell must really be freezing over. "What about the Lesters?"

"They haven't returned my calls."

Logan deadpanned, "I'm totally shocked, Barry. Grandpa Dave is my father's biggest fan. Why on Earth would he ignore his _beloved_ grandson in his time of need?"

Barry shook his head. "I have no idea, but we'll keep trying to get in touch with him."

"Tell you what, Barry. _I'll_ talk to Dave." Logan took out his cell phone and found the number in his address book. The phone rang for a long time before it went to voice-mail. He hit pound to bypass his grandfather's boring drone (inspirational he was not). "Hey, Grandpa, it's Logan. How are you and Sally doing? Listen, I'm in a bit of a jam, but I'm sure you already know that. Can you please call me when you get this message? I'd be _eternally_ grateful. Thanks." The tremor in his voice was hardly noticeable, but it told him how close he was to the edge.

"He's stonewalling us."

That could apply to any number of people in Logan's life. "Well, fuck him then."

Barry sighed slightly at his language. "We don't have that luxury. He controls your mother's estate."

The air escaped from Logan's lungs. "Oh."

"That's why I suggested Option 1. You can apply for status as an emancipated minor, but there's no guarantee that he'll give you the money early. As for your trust fund, that doesn't kick in until age 25."

Fuck. His life was getting worse by the second. When he'd thrown out those words to Veronica on the beach, he didn't realize that the truth would hit him full in the face. Logan picked at a splinter of wood on the otherwise flawless oak of the table and stared into space. "Whose idea was this?"

"Your mother. She didn't want you to bleed through the money before your 21st birthday."

Logan laughed bitterly as he got to his feet. "That's so sweet. She's always looking out for me, even from her watery grave. I can't tell you what this means to me. In 20 years, I'll look back on this moment as my fondest memory."

"It's not as bad as it seems. You can always…"

He held up his arms like he was holding an Oscar. "Thanks so much for your support. Aaron thanks you, and most of all, the Academy thanks you." And with that, he turned on his heel and fled from the prestigious offices of his dead mother's lawyer.

Duncan blinked his eyes and stared at the murky pool water. A few weeks ago, he'd been like Rip Van Winkle, sleeping for a long time and waking up with a face full of hair and no fucking clue…about anything. He thought about Keith Mars and knew that returning home from Cuba was inevitable. He could no longer pretend to be someone he was not. His identity was blown and his parents were back in his face, harping over every little thing. Trouble was, that used to be Lilly's job. When had it become his burden? When had he turned from the good one to the problem child?

A strange noise diverted his eyes and he realized it came from him. The sound got louder and Duncan suddenly felt the wetness on his face. He scrubbed at his eyes and wondered when crying had become a regular thing. It couldn't have started when Lilly died, because his mother always made sure he was drugged to the gills. And it hadn't started after he'd fucked Veronica, because by then, he was an empty shell, his existence nullified by a vial of tiny white pills. So when was it? Was it the accusation that he saw in his father's eyes when he spilled his version of the truth? Or was it the sudden certainty that no matter who had taken his sister down, it was still his fault? Lilly had died because of him. If he'd gotten there sooner…if he'd paid attention…he could have saved her. But it was too late. Nobody could save Lilly. And even when the truth hit home, backlit by the raging house fire and the blood caked on Aaron Echolls like stage makeup, he still didn't believe it. He didn't believe the truth he saw in Veronica's eyes. Not then, at the place where she almost died, and not later at her house, when he'd collapsed in her arms, sobbing out a year's worth of emotion on her handmade coverlet.

Veronica had been there for him in a big way since that night, but he knew her heart wasn't in it. She was braver and stronger than anyone he had ever known, but even while she gave him comfort, there was a stillness about her that was reflected by the remoteness in her eyes. Even while she bolstered him, she held him at arm's length. She was harder than she used to be, and he saw why Logan was drawn to her. The two of them were far more alike than he cared to admit; only Logan drowned his sorrows while Veronica played Nancy Drew. When he'd seen them together at the party, it twisted a knife in his gut, but it also made him feel more alive than he had in a long time. All the rage and pain that had been dammed up in the past year came flooding out, sending him past a stunned Logan and out to his Dad's SUV, where he took out his frustration on a few windows and the driver's side door. And that was the point where he couldn't stop bawling, only stopping when he put on his public face and wailed from the inside out.

With a shaky sigh, he got to his feet, only stopping when he spotted a familiar profile at the edge of the yard. "Hey," he called in greeting.

Logan shuffled out from the shadows with a shit-eating grin. He grabbed his flask from his pocket and offered it up. "You look like you need this more than me."

"Yeah." Duncan nodded and gulped down a healthy swallow of vintage scotch without choking. "Let's go inside."

Logan snickered at the invitation. "Celeste must be out."

He grinned as they stepped into the living room. "Big charity ball downtown. Must be my lucky night."

"No, the honor is all mine." Logan took a mock bow to an invisible audience. "Let's get trashed."

"So, DK, how've you been? Ronnie treating you OK?" Logan grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit on the coffee table and took such a huge bite that the juice rolled down his chin.

Duncan smiled slightly. "You make it sound like we're an item."

"Well, aren't you? Every time I see you, you're following in her shadow."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Logan snorted. "The tiny blonde one casts a mighty long shadow. Be careful, or you'll trip on the way down."

"Thanks, but I think I've got a handle on things."

"Really? Could have fooled me." Logan bit deeper into the apple and wondered how Eve had felt when she'd fucked with God's forbidden fruit. He watched Duncan's face and knew he was making his friend squirm, but that was nothing compared to the way he'd feel in a few minutes. "Veronica Mars is nothing but trouble, dude. Look what she's done to this town. She's torn our families apart with her goddamned _truth_. Can you honestly say we're better off?"

Duncan's blue eyes darkened to a deep indigo as he lowered his head and glowered at Logan. "_Yes_. I'm glad that justice was finally served."

Logan sat up and looked at Duncan in shock. "I can't fucking _believe_ this. You're taking her side?"

His friend folded his arms defensively and shook his head when Logan offered him the flask. "It's not that simple."

"Sure it is. You're either with me, or against me."

"In case you haven't noticed, this isn't all about _you._"

Logan snorted derisively. "Sure it is. Haven't you read the tabloids? Don't you see the way my slut of a sister is playing to the press? Or the way they follow us at every turn? Your father's part in this is a _tiny_ footnote. Nobody cares about the Kanes and how they tried to protect their precious boy." He didn't know why he was pushing Duncan so hard, but it was his sworn duty as a friend to get him to react…to _something_. It didn't even matter if Duncan swung at him. It would mean he was feeling again, and that was all that mattered.

As predicted, Duncan's fingers bunched into fists and his lips narrowed. "Certainly not you, anyway. You're too busy getting wasted at your personal pity party. Poor little Logan. All the money and power in the world can't save you now."

Logan tightened his grip on the flask and felt a huge lump forming in his throat. With a tight smile, he answered, "Dude, you don't know the half of it. I'm really and totally fucked." He held up his flask by way of a toast and chugged down half its contents.

Duncan's brow smoothed and compassion replaced his anger. "Yeah, well, you're not the only one. Veronica's hopped up on meds for her PTSD, and sometimes I feel like I don't know her anymore. It's like she's retreating into that special hell I've been in for the past year."

The words hit Logan like bullets, but he ignored what Duncan was telling him. "Are you kidding? She'll come through this with flying colors. Doesn't she always? It's never about the people around her. No, it's all about solving her case, and if she has to trample her friends along the way, then so be it. "

Duncan sighed and put his head in his hands. "You know what, Logan? If I was in her shoes, I would have done the same thing."

Logan's fingers dug into his palms and he felt the wet warmth of blood. "I don't fucking believe this."

"You better start believing it. When you came back to see Lilly, you should have told the police. But more than that, you should have been straight with Veronica."

He looked away from Duncan's piercing gaze and murmured, "But I _was_ straight with her, dude. I told her everything she needed to know."

"Isn't that convenient? Embroider the truth for your own comfort. Sorry, Logan, but that's not the way the world is supposed to work."

Logan finally lifted his chin and stared at his friend. "Sure it is. You're just too naïve to see things for the way they really are."

Duncan's eyes darkened. "Is that so? Well, you know what? I'm seeing pretty clearly right now, and what I see is that you've been broken for a long time, only now there's no one to pick up the pieces and make it better."

"Wow. You must have been up all night rehearsing for that one. Bravo." Logan clapped his hands and ignored Duncan's stare when the blood dripped down onto his wrists. He grabbed up a few napkins and bunched them into his fists to staunch the flow.

"Are you done yet?"

"Actually, I'm just getting started. Since we're on the subject of how much I suck, why don't I give it to you straight? I know you slept with Veronica the night of Shelly's party."

Duncan flushed slightly. "So what? It's ancient history."

Logan laughed at his friend's embarrassed expression. "Doesn't look like it from here."

"What's your point?"

"Well, remember when I handed you that drink and said cheers? There was more than soda in that cup."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Liquid X."

Duncan's features shifted dangerously close to the same type of cold anger that fueled Aaron Echolls. "Maybe my father is right about you."

"Of course he is. The apple never falls too far from the tree, does it?" He lofted the apple core into the nearby trashcan and smiled as it plunked loudly against the metal. "And it's only a matter of time before I follow in Aaron's footsteps." Logan grabbed his flask and timed his swig so perfectly that Jake and Celeste Kane got a perfect view as they walked through the sliding doors. "Well, now, aren't you guys a sight for sore eyes?"

He opened his arms to greet them and laughed when they pushed past him and stood over Duncan. "Son, would you care to explain this?"

Logan framed his hands and did one of his video routines. "The camera pushes in on the faded features of the Bill Gates wannabe. He sighs in disappointment. How can his son let him down like this? He had such high hopes for Stanford Law."

Jake whirled in rage and advanced a few stops. "Get out of my house."

Logan glanced between Jake and Celeste, who stood behind her husband like a frozen statue, her china white face painted like a kewpie doll. "Sure you don't want some of this? You look like you could use it." He held out the flask and jumped sideways when Jake came at him like a freight train. "Guess not."

Duncan stood up suddenly and walked in front of Logan. "Let me deal with this."

Celeste chose that moment to intervene. "Duncan, maybe you should go upstairs."

"Not _now_, Mom."

Jake tried stepping around Duncan but suddenly found himself face to face with his angry son. "Duncan, this is still my house, and as long as you live here, you'll follow our rules."

Duncan threw up his hands. "Fine, whatever, but this is _my_ business. Let me take care of it."

Jake's face reddened at his tone. "Don't you get it, Duncan? Bad news follows this family wherever they go. Do you want to be dragged down along with them?"

"I'll take my chances." He looked back at Logan and said, "We'll talk later, OK?"

"Sure." Logan found his way outside and stumbled down the driveway to his ugly yellow truck. With a sigh, he strapped himself in and decided to head for the beach to drown the rest of his sorrows.

Sleep was a luxury she couldn't afford. Slumber didn't bring her peace. Instead, it shoved her into a chamber of her own personal horrors, complete with an endlessly looping soundtrack. _Veronica's Fun House_. She wondered if she could option it out as a Playstation Game. It had all the requisite drama: blood, gore, fire, sex, and violence. Maybe she could try it out on Beaver. Or maybe Dick would like to take a turn. He was good at that. Hell, they were all good at that. Line up and take her down, one at a time. Wasn't that what those rich boys always did?

Veronica smirked at her cleverness, but if someone had bothered to notice, they would see that the smile never reached her eyes. But nobody saw anything but the shell, did they? They saw the hot babe with the killer tan. And they often commented on her striking looks and how she belonged in Hollywood. Nobody noticed or cared that a keen mind lurked behind the Barbie doll exterior, though these days, it was mostly submerged along with her personality. And why did any of that matter anyway? The reporters were transitory, and the fame would soon fade into the sunset with her flavor of the month status. Or so she hoped. She answered the same damned questions and they still weren't satisfied. One savvy journalist had even uncovered her torrid link to Logan Echolls, and that filled the pages for a few days. Hell, she even made the gossip section in one of the San Diego papers.

With a snort, she knew that Lilly would have loved this. Loved the celebrity, loved the skin-crawling feeling she got when they stalked her outside school, and loved the changes that her death had brought to her best friend. Was that it then? Was that what Logan had seen in her? Was she a pale reflection of his golden girl Lilly, the princess of Neptune High? Or was she even less than that? Maybe Logan was right about her. "It's always business with you, Mars." Yeah, if she remembered nothing else, she remembered those words, delivered with an affectionate smile and a peck on her cheek.

Veronica kept that in her heart, because if she looked outside herself, all she saw was desolation. Logan barely spoke to her, and when he did, it was always in that mocking vernacular that was his forte. She was the Black Widow, who sucked the life out of her mates and preyed on her friends, using them up and discarding them when she was done. Hell, hadn't Wallace said exactly the same thing? If even her BFF thought she was like that, then it must be true.

She pushed her laptop aside and stared at the vials of pills in her purse. They were her new best friends. There was the one that made her want to crawl inside herself, and when she was done with that, she wanted to go to the highest bridge and jump over the side. Maybe Logan could join her. Funny, she'd never really been depressed until the past year. Life had always been sunny and filled with promise. Now it was nothing but endless days of gray. The drugs filtered out the worst of her pain, but they didn't help her hide from her demons. No, those came creeping in at night when the Ambien sent her straight down. For a few weeks, it had worked wonders, pushing back the nightmares and allowing her to get some desperately needed rest. But she'd become acclimated so quickly that the drug stopped working. So she sleepwalked through her days, often dozing off in class and waking up with a gasp that quickly turned to embarrassment when she saw the snickers and stares. That she was able to maintain her grades was one of life's mysteries.

It had been easy to hide at first, but her friends wouldn't let her get away with it. Wallace and Weevil often came to get her and made sure she was around other people. She hated those excursions, because there was always the chance that she would run into Logan. And then there was Duncan--weird, spacey Duncan who was starting to emerge from his cocoon and turn back to the boy he was always meant to be.

He recognized the changes in her. "The drugs don't work, do they?" That had been four weeks into the Zoloft.

She'd shrugged. "I know that it's getting easier to get through the day."

Duncan had gripped her shoulders and shaken her slightly. "You can't rely on medication. It's only delaying the inevitable. At some point, you'll need to deal with this."

"Yeah, I guess." Veronica wasn't ready to take that step right now, and she didn't need constant reminders of her failings.

"What does your therapist think about this?"

That was the question everyone kept asking her and she didn't have a clue. She wasn't even sure that therapy was making any inroads to her real problems. It was so easy to keep pushing them aside for later, much like she did with her friends and family. Only her father and Duncan knew the truth. That she wasn't making progress so much as marking time on her day planner, waiting for the next appointment or interview with the press.

Veronica sighed and stared through her windshield at the lightening sky. In a few minutes, the sun would rise and force her to face another day. She grabbed up her coat and decided to walk on the beach. After locking up the car, she headed for the sand and stopped when she spotted a familiar SUV on the far edge of the parking lot. Its shrieking yellow color stopped her in her tracks and she thought about running back to her car. But it was too late. He was rolling down the window and beckoning to her with his left hand. With growing dread, she walked toward him and looked past the mocking smile to the deep well of hurt in his dark eyes. Logan might hide behind his armor with most people, but he couldn't do it with her. She already had peeled away too many of his layers, and like an onion, his protection was nearly gone, exposing the open wound of his life to the world.

"Well, as I live and breathe, if it isn't the infamous Nancy Drew," Logan slurred, the sharp edges of his voice softened by drink.

She acknowledged his greeting with a tiny smile. "What do you want?"

"Aw, is that any way to treat your ex when he's leaving town?"

"L-leaving? But why?" she stammered, shocked out of her dream state for the first time since that fateful night.

Logan grinned. "Wow, am I hallucinating? It actually sounds like you care."

Veronica hung her head slightly and traced the sand with the tip of her foot. "I've never stopped caring, Logan."

His eyes softened slightly, but when he answered, the hardness was back in his voice. "Well, that makes one of us, Ronnie. So, you want to come with?"

"Where?"

He snickered. "I don't know. Anywhere but here. What do you say?"

"Why me?"

Logan stared at his dashboard before looking out at the waves. "Well, your dog's not around, so I figured you'd be a good substitute."

"You always know how to flatter a girl. I think I'll pass."

His head turned and his gaze caught her full on with its intensity. "Why?"

"Besides the drinking and driving part? I have no idea."

He fished his keys from the ignition and tossed them to her. "Here. You can chauffeur me around."

Veronica opened her hand for the keys. "You're on." It sounded like a dare, and that was something he couldn't resist.

Part Four

_Love you're news to me,  
You're a little bit more that I thought you'd be,  
A mole in my well-fed lawn  
You're a nightmare beating the dawn_

_And then you kissed me, lyrics by the Cardigans_

What are we doing? 

_I have no idea._

Logan knew it was a mistake from the second she peeled out of the parking lot, gunning the engine with a punishing glee that was belied by the placid expression on her beautiful face. "So, I got your letter."

This was definitely trouble. "Yeah?"

"You can borrow the dog. Just call ahead." Was that a smile curving her lips?

"Gee, thanks."

She tossed off a quick glance that confirmed the slightly impish grin, but as she made the turn onto Route 5, it melted away like candle wax. "We should probably talk about your letter."

"You going to crash the car if I get mad?" Logan said acidly.

"No, but I might push you off a bridge," Veronica retorted flatly, knocking the wind out of his sails for the space of a minute.

"Wow, that was harsh," he said, knuckles whitening as he grabbed onto the edge of his seat. "I can't believe DK is defending your actions."

"Leave him out of this."

"Why? He's as much a part of this as me. You've solved your little case. Are you happy now? You've destroyed us both." All the anger and rage of the past month came flying out at her, lacerating her with his cutting tone.

Veronica swerved the car to the side of the road and glared at him. "You think I've enjoyed this?"

"Actually, _yeah_. I think this Nancy Drew crap is like a drug, and once you start, you can't stop."

"Sounds like your drinking," she snapped with a pointed stare at his flask.

"My drinking only hurts _me._ But this thing that you do…it has a way of flattening everyone in your path."

"You may be right about me, but your drinking hurts everyone, Logan," Veronica stated in a clipped tone that cut right to the bone. "I mean, how can you forget that day in the parking lot?_ 'Hey, hey, what do you say to a little hooch, huh? What's the matter, aren't you your mother's daughter? Now there was a woman that could drink. Hey, what's she up to nowadays? Maybe she can join us. Know where she is? Any clue?'"_

Logan's breath hissed through his teeth as his own words rained down on him like a hailstorm. He not only remembered that day with unreal clarity, he'd been stone cold sober at the time. "I was…sober," he admitted with a croak, only daring a glance when the silence stretched to the breaking point.

Veronica's face wrenched painfully and he knew he wasn't done hurting her—not by a long shot. "And you meant every word. Hey, that's OK, I'm sure I deserved it."

He felt like he was suffocating, but he had to get through this. "Nobody deserved what I put you through."

She cupped her ear sarcastically. "Want to say that again so everyone can hear it? Like your 09er _friends_?"

"They're not my _friends_," Logan countered angrily, smacking his fist into the dashboard as he turned to face her. "They're a bunch of poseurs who only cared about my Dad, and look what a sick fuck he's turned out to be."

Veronica's jaw worked with emotion and he saw her muscles bunching up with tension as she nodded.It was easy to make her the villain in all this, but the real monster was Aaron Echolls. Truth be told, throwing his father in the pokey was the best day of Logan's life. He'd cracked open his father's oldest bottle of Scotch and proceeded to drink himself into a stupor that morphed into a three day bender. And that only ended because Duncan had hauled his sorry ass to school for finals. When she finally found her voice, it had nearly muted itself to a scared whisper. "I have to testify against him. If he gets out…if they throw out the case…I don't know what I'll do."

"He'll have to come through me first," he said icily, letting the cold rush of hate fill his heart.

Veronica swallowed hard and stammered, "Y-you really meant all that stuff about wanting to protect me?"

"All that and more," he said huskily. "Haven't you figured that out yet?"

She scrubbed at her eyes. "Clearly, I've been completely clueless when it comes to you."

Logan touched her shoulder gently and wiped away some stray tears. "_Wow_. Veronica Mars without a clue? I think I just peed myself."

"Don't expect me to clean up the mess," she cracked, ducking away from his hand and making a face at him.

"What about your boy, Weevil? I could call him right now."

"Now you're just being an ass."

"Only for you, sweetheart." Logan blew her an imaginary kiss and grinned when she swatted his shoulder with unexpected force. "_Ow_. You pack quite a punch, Velma. Guess I better behave myself."

Veronica laughed at his comment. "What is it about you guys and the Scooby gang? Wallace called me the same thing, but I set his ass straight. It's Daphne, OK?"

Logan pretended to compare his tiny blonde one to the ditz on Scooby and looked between one hand and the other. "You sure you want to associate with the dumb blonde?"

"She _wasn't _blonde," Veronica exclaimed with mock ferocity.

"Yeah, but she sure was dumb," he countered with a chuckle.

"You've obviously never watched the show."

"Nope, only the movies, and only to watch Sarah bouncing around," he said with an evil smirk.

Veronica rolled her eyes. "God, can this conversation sink any lower?"

"I'm only getting started," Logan said with a grin. "Want a demonstration?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and was rewarded with another punch.

"NO," she exclaimed through her laugh.

Logan rubbed his arm. "I think that left a permanent dent."

Veronica's grin faded away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Her words faltered as her teeth pulled at her lip.

"Hey, it's OK," he replied evenly, suddenly realizing what was troubling her. "I've survived worse, right?"

"But you shouldn't have to."

"Well, your boy Weevil may take exception to that."

Veronica's lips tightened slightly at his comment. "He's not _my boy_ Weevil, and if you call him that again, I might have to kick your ass."

"You'll have to wait in line," Logan retorted with a trace of bitterness. His status at school was non-existent and the only one of the 09ers to talk to him regularly was Beaver, his backstabbing little buddy.

Veronica sighed at her gaffe. "I seem to keep putting my foot in it. Is there any way we can just coexist without tearing each other apart?"

"I don't know."

"Can we even salvage what we have?" Veronica asked with a lightness that didn't reach the serious expression in her blue eyes.

"I'm not sure I even know what _that_ is," Logan admitted ruefully. "But I'd like to find out."

"Is that why you came for me?"

"Actually, you kind of fell in my lap. I passed out in my car and when I woke up, there you were."

Veronica shook her head. "You know the odds are against us."

"Ah, but I've always bet on long shots. What do you say, Ronnie? Want to take a chance on me?" Logan knew he'd live to regret this, but he was his mother's son. Between putting his heart on his sleeve and getting it shredded regularly, he had all the bases covered.

She opened her mouth to answer but was saved by the chirping of his phone. Logan picked it up and clicked it on. "Hey, Duncan."

5

"Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. My parents rode my ass all last night and started in on me this morning," Duncan griped.

"_Ouch_. That must have hurt," Logan said dryly.

He sighed at Logan's flippant tone and heard cars in the background. "Where are you?"

"I _was_ sleeping it off."

"Sorry. Hey, do you know where Veronica is? She didn't come home last night and her dad is freaking out."

"Why would you even ask me that?" Logan replied with an odd note in his voice.

"Why do you think?" Duncan fired out the question, wondering when his friend had become such an idiot. "You might want nothing to do with her, but you can't change how you really feel."

"Is that so? You speaking from your own experiences here or just projecting them onto me?" Logan asked with that rising edge of curiosity that always spelled trouble.

"Look, I'm not interested in playing games, Logan. I'm worried about Veronica. If you hear from her, could you tell her to call home?" Duncan requested.

"Since you put it so nicely…_no_. I'm not your messenger boy, and Ronnie's a big girl now."

"Why do I even bother with you?"

"I have no fucking idea. If you find out, could you let me know?" Logan actually giggled and Duncan instantly knew that he was still drunk.

"You plan on coming home anytime soon?" Duncan decided it was better to ignore the comments when Logan got like this.

"Why? Are you waiting for me? Should I buy a new dress and get my nails done?"

Logan was looking for a reaction, and he wasn't about to give him one. "The reporters are camped out and the lawyers are boxing things up."

"_Are_ they now? Well, if you see Barry, tell him I said hey. Look, dude, I'm about to puke, so I better go. See ya."

The phone clicked off before Duncan could say another word. He stared at the dead handset with confusion. Logan was always obnoxious, but he seemed to be going out of his way to piss people off.

The phone dropped onto his bed and he walked over to the window, wondering where on earth Veronica had gone. In her condition, there was no telling what might happen. He knew what the drugs did to some people. You could end up as a zombie or your emotions could swing so violently that you didn't know if you were coming or going. He'd been at both ends of the spectrum and hated it all. It had taken a few weeks in Cuba to start coming back to what he used to be. He had also suffered through a disturbing array of withdrawal symptoms, but in the end, it was completely worth it to be out from under his mother's control. For wasn't that what this was all about? Duncan used to be Celeste's baby boy and had worshipped the ground she walked on. It took a few more years and the blooming of Lilly to really figure out where things stood. Lilly took him to task for his feelings and belittled him for being a Mama's boy. And then she was gone, and his eyes were really opened.

His mother had lied to him about Veronica to split them apart. She thought nothing of making him suffer through the lie of incest and the haze of drugs, but he'd broken through and there was nothing she could do. With a tight smile, he passed through his room to the back stairs and snuck out through the servant's entrance. He waved at Rafe and asked how his grandmother was doing. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he made his way to his sister's car and drove off in a cloud of blue smoke. The Mercedes was burning oil and no one bothered to get it serviced. Duncan headed for the dealership and decided to get it fixed. He only wished it was half as easy to patch his fucked up life.

"What did Duncan want?" Veronica asked with concern, putting Logan's earlier question aside for later consideration. "Is he OK?"

Logan's mouth twisted unpleasantly. "It's always about him, isn't it?"

So now he was jealous too. "Not really, but you were giving him more shit than usual. What's up with that?"

Her casual answer seemed to prick a tiny hole in the green-headed monster. "I'm an asshole. You've said it yourself."

"Yeah, so what?"

"So what do you guys see in me? It can't be my money, because there's nothing left. And I know for sure that it's not my insufferable charm, because that's always in short supply. So I'm left to conclude that it must be my looks." Logan pretended to preen in the mirror and grinned when he saw her roll her eyes. "_Eureka_. So it's true then. You both want me."

She was tempted to smack his arm but let him off with a disgusted wave of her fingers. "Menage a trois? I don't think so." Veronica knew what he was doing, and that he was doing it for her benefit.

"Aw, where's your sense of adventure?" Logan joked.

Veronica changed the subject. "What was all that business about not being his messenger boy?"

"Your Dad is looking for you."

"Shit. He's supposed to be out of town until tonight." She started to bite on her left thumbnail but stopped when she saw him watching her with the kind of concerned look that seemed out of place on his angular face.

"Maybe you should call him and set his mind at ease," he suggested gently.

"He's going to kill me." Veronica retrieved her phone from her purse and was about to dial when someone tapped on the window. She whirled around and stared into the smug features of Officer Fuckface. He motioned for her to lower the window and she did so with extreme reluctance, only finding comfort in the way Logan squeezed her fingers as she turned to face Lamb.

"Well, well, if it isn't Veronica Mars and her felonious boyfriend," Lamb said with a wide grin. "Would you step out of the car please?"

Logan's grip tightened on hers. "We aren't doing anything wrong," she said tautly, squeezing back to let him know that she would handle this.

"You're parked in a breakdown lane and obstructing possible traffic emergencies. And what's this?" Lamb's eyes swooped down on Logan's empty flask. "Drinking and driving. Now I'd say you have a real problem, Miss Mars."

Logan knew he should keep his mouth shut. It always got him in trouble, and it probably wouldn't get him out of this, but he had to point out the obvious. "Officer, I think you're out of your jurisdiction. This is a _state_ road."

Lamb sneered, "Is that the best you can do? Veronica Mars must be slacking off. Sure she didn't arrange this to humiliate you further?"

"Shut the fuck up," he growled, ignoring Veronica's dismayed expression at the way he was fueling the asshole sheriff's vendetta against him.

Lamb laughed as he shoved Logan against the Xterra and searched his pockets. "Your crappy attitude's gonna score real points with the judge. Let's see what your Daddy's money gets you this time."

Logan smirked in Lamb's face as he finished patting him down. "You like feeling me up, Donny? Does it make you hard?" He chortled at the dark flush on the sheriff's face and made a lewd gesture with his right hand.

The sheriff's hand moved toward his nightstick but was stayed by Veronica's voice. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Sheriff." She pointed at the patrol car and its on-board video. "Plus you have me as a witness. Do you really think the judge will look the other way?"

"You really _are_ a bitch," Lamb intoned nastily as he pointed to the ground and directed Logan to walk in a straight line. He passed that test easily, but knew that he'd fail the Breathalyzer. Logan crossed his arms as the sheriff put Veronica through the same rigmarole and breathed a little easier when she passed with flying colors. Drugs could do funny things to you, and he didn't know enough about antidepressants and their side effects. Lamb seemed disappointed that he couldn't charge Veronica with anything other than blocking an emergency lane. As the sheriff started writing them up, Logan looked out at the passing cars with growing dismay.

This was supposed to be a simple road trip, one which got him out of town and away from the paparazzi for awhile. It wasn't supposed to end like this, with Veronica and him at odds with local law enforcement. He already had drunk and disorderly conduct on the books and now they'd add another misdemeanor to his record. His father had paid off the judge during his last trip to court, but he wasn't here to save his sorry offspring this time. They'd send him to rehab, and he'd be locked to this town for the rest of the summer. Veronica looked up at him from a short distance away and turned back to the sheriff with grim resolve in her eyes. "Look, Sheriff, your quarrel is with me. Let him go. He didn't do anything."

Lamb smiled and handed her a ticket. "Sure you want to take the fall for your boyfriend?"

"500 hundred dollars?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Nope, that's your area of expertise. Now get in the patrol car," Lamb ordered.

Veronica seemed ready to protest but looked over at Logan and fell into line behind him. As she got in the back seat, she said, "I suppose my Dad is waiting at the station."

Lamb answered, "Sure is. And he's plenty pissed. Said something about your dog crapping all over your car."

"Omigod. Backup," she cried, hands flying to her face in horror. "I completely forgot he was with me."

Logan dug his knuckles into his eyes, trying to will away the anguish in her voice. He did nothing but hurt people, and her life was a crap pile because of him and his father. A few weeks back, he'd been ready to string her up because she'd betrayed him. But now that sobriety was forcing him to think, he knew that Duncan was right. He should have come forward, and in coming clean to Veronica, he should have told her everything. However, even knowing all that, he couldn't quite get over his hurt and disappointment in her. Veronica was the one person he had trusted, the one bright light in his otherwise crappy life, and she had let him down. "I'm sorry," he said after a long silence.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she whispered. "This is _my_ fault. I should never have left Backup behind."

"Maybe I should sue for full custody," Logan joked.

The ghost of a smile appeared on her face before it flitted away. "You deserve a real friend, Logan. Faithful and true."

"Well, there's always Duncan. I think he'd look great on a leash." Logan put a lascivious slant to his words and was rewarded with a tired smile.

"You shouldn't keep dumping on him. He's had a hard time."

Logan acknowledged that with a nod. "Yeah. Between losing Lilly and your breakup, he was pretty strung out for awhile. Never did tell me why he broke up with you. I always thought the timing was rather weird."

"That's true," Veronica coughed, seeming slightly skeeved by his statement. If she turned any greener, she'd look right at home in a frog pond.

"Well, who knows? Maybe you guys can patch things up," he suggested, not quite managing to keep the hurt at bay.

Veronica snorted. "I have a theory. Want to hear it? Either someone dropped you on the head as a kid, or the booze has destroyed every last one of your brain cells."

Logan was only slightly reassured by her words. "But he's still hung up on you."

She shrugged and sighed as they pulled into the station. Standing big as life on the front steps was Keith Mars, and angry didn't begin to describe the look on his face. "Great," she muttered.

"Hey, kids, it's show time," Lamb crowed as he opened the door on Veronica's side. Logan followed her outside and flashed a sheepish smile as Keith Mars came bearing down on them.

7

"Dad, I can explain." Veronica said, stepping in front of Logan when she saw her father's fingers bunching into fists.

Keith fumed, "Move aside, Veronica."

"We were talking!" she exclaimed, pushing forward and forcing her father off balance. "That's it."

"That's what they _always_ say," Lamb quipped, quickly squelching his smile when Keith turned toward him.

"This is between me and my daughter," he warned.

Veronica looked over at Logan and knew he expected another beating, but she wasn't about to let him take the heat for this. "Dad, I was at the beach and ran into Logan. We had some stuff to talk about and pulled over to the side of the road. That's all."

Keith's anger faded slightly and the look he cast at Logan held more pity than rage. "Get him out of here, Lamb."

Lamb grabbed Logan and pushed him up the steps. "This kid is an accident waiting to happen."

Her father looked totally disgusted. "Cliff is on his way. If Mr. Echolls is roughed up, you'll have me to answer to."

Veronica was stunned that her father was defending Logan. She watched Logan's back until he disappeared from view. "Thanks, Dad."

Keith shook his head. "I'm not bailing him out, Veronica. He's on his own this time. I feel sorry for him, but his behavior is unacceptable, and so is yours. Talking is one thing, but it still doesn't explain why you were out all night, or left the dog locked in your car. I had to rush him to the vet's."

Big tears spilled onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Dad. I never meant to leave Backup behind. I wasn't thinking."

"You sure weren't," he countered angrily. "I'm disappointed in you, Veronica. You used to be responsible. I could count on you to take care of things while I was away. Now it's clear that my trust in you was misplaced."

Veronica's eyes blurred with emotion. "I'll never do it again."

"That's not good enough, Veronica. And I'll make sure the judge knows that too."

"B-but, other than the ticket…"

Keith interrupted, "Let me finish. You'll be asked to speak on Logan's behalf, and when you do, I'm going to recommend that the court assigns you to community service for the rest of the year."

"But Dad," she protested. "I'm working for you this summer."

"Not anymore. I plan on posting an ad for a new office assistant, effective immediately. I'm sorry, Veronica, but you're done at the agency."

Logan looked up in disbelief when the door opened and Cliff came through. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Echolls," Cliff snarked as he dropped his briefcase on the table. "Any tabloid reporters you want me to slay while I'm here?"

He smiled at the lawyer's sarcasm. "Not this time."

"Good to hear. So, you've gotten into another spot of trouble. They're charging you with underage drinking. They can't call it a DUI since you weren't driving and Veronica had the good sense to stay sober. But given your previous offenses, they might try to make an example of you."

"That's _great_ news, Cliff," Logan said cynically. "Do I have any leeway here?"

Cliff shook his head. "Don't think so. Your father's hands are tied and there's no money to pay his lawyers. I do pro bono work, and Keith asked if I'd help you out. Since I owe him a few dozen favors, here I am. My advice? Plead guilty and take your punishment like a man."

Logan snickered. "Don't I at least get my phone call?"

"Well, sure. Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters?" Cliff laughed. When his joke fell flat, he handed over Logan's cell phone, which had been confiscated with his personal effects.

"Haha." Logan switched on the phone and was starting to dial when his message icon popped up. When he checked the caller ID, his eyes widened at the sight of his grandfather's name. "Does checking messages count as my phone call?"

Cliff turned the other way with a smile. "Be my guest."

He scrolled through the menu and saw nothing else of note. With an intake of breath, he pressed 1 and listened to the message.

_Hello, Logan. I am calling on behalf of your grandfather. This is Monique D'Argent, your mother's half-sister. David and Sally are on travel and won't be returning home until late July. They asked me to check in when I got back from my latest jaunt and I heard the news of your father. Please, if there is anything I can do call my cell anytime at 617-855-2968._

Logan lowered the phone and looked at Cliff. "I can't believe it."

"What's that?"

"Nothing. I'll just make this call and then they can do whatever." He pressed the wrong button a few times and swore under his breath. With his hands still shaking, he finally managed to punch in the right number. It rang a few times and was answered on the third ring.

"Yes?" Wow, short and straight to the point. He guessed the French didn't always have their manners on.

"Umm, hello, this is Logan Echolls. I'm looking for Monique."

"Lo-gan. It is so nice to hear your voice," she gushed. "How are you?"

Monique's dulcet tones were so much like his mom's that he nearly dropped the phone. "F-fine. Thanks for calling back. I mean, for leaving me a message."

"You sound troubled. Can I help?" Cool as a cucumber, which was totally _unlike_ his overly emotional Mom.

Logan laughed at the slight understatement. "Actually, they're about to throw the book at me for underage drinking."

"Ah. Well, yes, that is a bit troubling. Would you like me to send someone?"

"I have a lawyer, but I'm not sure there's anything anyone can do."

"Is your lawyer there? Let me speak to him," Monique demanded imperiously.

"She wants to talk to you." He gave the phone to Cliff and watched the lawyer's eyebrows go up as he listened.

After a few minutes, he slid the phone back to Logan. "She's sending her personal lawyer from San Francisco to _assist_ me in this case."

Logan laughed. "Really? And to think that I've never met the woman."

Cliff's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? Well, she seemed really interested in making sure you were OK, or she'd have my head. You didn't tell me you were related to Monique D'Argent."

"You make it sound like she's somebody famous. My mother's the only person in that family who ever made a name for herself," Logan bragged.

"Is that so?" Cliff laughed. "Well, guess they forgot to tell that to Monique."

"What, is she some runway model or something? Big deal."

"You really _have_ been living under a rock, kid. She's only a Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist. Her work has graced the covers of every major magazine and newspaper. Didn't your mother ever talk about her?"

Logan shook his head. "Other than complaining about her bratty little sister? Nope."

"Hmm, well, I think she's still a brat. She's not posting your bail. Said a night in jail will do you some good."

He sighed in annoyance as Cliff started packing up his papers. "Great. Thanks anyway."

Duncan showed up to give Logan a ride home. He waited while Lamb escorted Logan out of the back and laughed when Logan held up devil's horns over Lamb's head. "Dude, you're a sight for sore eyes. Does Jake know you're here?"

"No way." He wrinkled his nose at Logan's appearance. "You look like shit."

"Yeah, well, you try spending the night in the cooler."

"I thought your aunt was going to bail you out."

"So did I." Logan shrugged as they walked out the door. "What happened to my car?"

"Veronica drove it back to your house."

"Is she OK? Her Dad was pretty mad."

"She's grounded, Logan. What did you expect? Absolution?"

"Ooh, DK has his claws out. So what did I do now?"

"I asked if you'd seen Veronica and you lied to me," Duncan stated flatly.

"So what? I was trying to spare your feelings."

"_Feelings_? That's never stopped you before."

"Yeah, well, I'm a _new_ man," Logan said as they got into the car.

"And I suppose _Siddhartha_ is on your reading list?" Duncan had howled at Aaron's choice of novels, but now he wasn't laughing at all.

"You betcha! A _personal_ recommendation from Phil Jackson."

Duncan changed to a safer subject. "So what now?"

Logan replied, "What do you think? I get to spend the rest of my summer in the lovely city of Neptune. _Just_ the place I want to be. Only, I have no place to live, because they're kicking me out of my house. And money? Forget about that. They've frozen all of Dad's accounts. When you see Jake, thank him for me, will you?"

Nope. Not safer at all. "I'm sorry, Logan. I wish I could change my father's mind, but he won't listen to me."

"_Hey_, maybe Jake should cool his heels in a jail cell. Think he'd come out a new man? Hmm. I can definitely see _War and Peace_ in his future. Or maybe The _Art of War_. You know what? I think Aaron has those at home. Better get there quick so I can get to them before the lawyers box them up."

"This _isn't_ helping," Duncan replied with growing irritation.

"Wasn't _trying_ to be helpful, dude."

"_Really_? I never would have noticed." Duncan paused for a beat before asking, "So when is your aunt supposed to get here?"

Logan's mouth tightened. "She's not. Her lawyer is coming down to reduce my time in rehab and that's pretty much it."

"They're really going to send you away?"

"_No_, they're going to send me to arts and crafts camp. What did you think was going to happen?"

"So no road trip, huh? Pity. You'd make a great Kerouac," Duncan commented, hearing the roar of pain behind Logan's sarcasm.

"Damn straight. And you'd make a great Tonto."

"_Thanks_." It was always about the fun. Either making fun at someone else's expense or having fun, no matter the consequences. Duncan remembered saying that Logan had started going over to the dark side. That process was now complete.

"So, DK, I did have this question about Veronica and her drugs. She was her old self yesterday, so what are you so worried about? Seems like it's business as usual with her."

"I know she's taking Zoloft."

"Does it zone you out or make you forget stuff?"

"Not supposed to."

"And you would know, Mr. Roboto."

"I love you too, Logan." Duncan made a nasty face and blew a kiss.

Logan pretended like he was shot. "Ooh, baby. Total eclipse of the heart."

"Asshole."

"Right back at ya, DK. So, what about sleeping pills?"

"She was on Ambien, but I think it stopped helping."

"So maybe it's not the drugs."

"It has to be. It's the only thing that explains the way she's acting," Duncan said as they turned through Logan's gates.

"Actually, it doesn't. Ronnie bottles up everything inside. Glosses it over, pretends it never happened. It's the way she copes. I guess she figures that running away is better than facing the music." Logan flipped a few reporters off as they pushed through the throng and made their way up the driveway.

"And you do that so well."

"Look, this isn't about me. We have to help her if we can."

He looked over at Logan in disbelief. "You're serious."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Dude, I know it's a stretch, but humor me for a minute, will ya?"

Duncan noticed the reporters converging on the car and pointed at the door. "OK, but let's go inside before they surround us."

Logan grabbed a jug of ice tea and Aaron's favorite blue corn chips. "Let's sit outside. This place feels too much like the Taj Mahal."

"They might find us with their telephoto lenses."

"Fuck 'em." He poured out some tea and watched Duncan hesitate before accepting it. "Hey, no drugs today. Scout's honor."

Duncan laughed, "That supposed to reassure me? The Boy Scouts threw you out on your ass."

"Yeah, well, their bad," Logan said through a mouthful of chips. "Listen, my hands are kind of tied here. Keith won't let me near Veronica."

"Do you blame him?"

Logan steepled his hands. "_Focus_, dude. I know that's asking a lot…"

Duncan interrupted, "Shut the hell up. At least your Dad didn't try to drug you for the past year."

"Right. I'm Mr. Timex. Definitely better than playing Rob Zombie in House of 1000 Corpses."

Annoyance and amusement warred in Duncan's eyes. "Look, I enjoy the Maddie and Dave routine, but it's getting kind of old."

Logan smirked. "Right. OK, well, Keith hates my guts, but he thinks the world of you. So maybe if you talk to him, he'll ease up on Ronnie."

"What should I say?"

"Christ, Duncan, put your lawyer hat on. Make Jake proud. You'll think of something. You always do."

"It's not going to be easy. He really put his foot down. No more cases and community service for the rest of the year."

Logan sat back in his chair and swore. "Fuck. How could he do that to her? It's probably the only thing that's kept her sane."

"I know. I think he freaked out when she disappeared, and then finding her with you kind of twisted the knife a little further."

"Like he needs any more reminders of that night," Logan hissed. "There must be something I can do."

"Do we know anyone that can get through to him?" Duncan asked. "A family friend, or maybe someone from school?"

Logan's brain was beyond fried, but a face suddenly floated into his mind. "Hmm. I may know someone." He found a name in his address book and showed it to Duncan. "What do you think?"

"It's worth a shot. Let's do it."

Veronica looked at the pile of cartons with dull eyes. Dad had always been such a softie, but he hadn't budged this time. The ad was in the paper and the phone was already ringing off the hook.

_Do they know what they're getting into? If I warn them away, he'll have to take me back. Serial killers and bugs in the bedroom. Yeah, that should do it._

Maybe he was right. Maybe a job at the mall was exactly what she needed. "Yeah, I'm a real Gap girl all right."

Her father was sequestered behind the door with yet another new client. Fact was, he was beating them away with sticks these days. One assistant wouldn't cover his needs. She felt her phone vibrate and looked down at Duncan's name.

"Hey," she said softly, moving to the far end of the room in case her father heard her talking.

"Is it all right if I come over later? I have something to discuss with your Dad."

Veronica chewed on that for a second. "Only if it's business."

"It kind of is."

"Thanks for the head's up." She heard a splash and guessed that Duncan was sitting near a pool.

"Sure. Umm…" Duncan started to say something and then covered up the phone for a second. "Sorry about that. I'll try to come by this afternoon."

"No problem. Hey, if you see Logan, tell him I say hi."

Duncan replied, "Tell him yourself. He's right here."

"Hey, Ronnie. Hanging up your Nancy Drew hat, huh?" His snarky words were belied by the unmistakable compassion in his voice.

She brushed past the teen detective crap and focused on the nickname. "What's up with that name?"

Logan lowered his voice to an intimate tone that sent shivers down her spine. "Don't you like it? It popped into my head when I first met you."

Veronica's neck prickled with heat. "That was 5 years ago."

He laughed. "So you remember it too."

The warmth spread to her cheeks. "Is Duncan OK with all this?"

"Want me to ask him? He's doing laps."

"No thanks."

Logan teased, "You sure? He's right here."

She smiled and turned her face away as the door to her Dad's office opened. "When can I see you?"

"Thought I was off limits."

Her father stepped through the door and walked with the client to the other side of the office. "Gotta go. Later."

"Who were you talking to?" her Dad questioned.

"That was Duncan. He's coming over later to talk to you about something."

"Did he give you any details?"

Veronica shook her head. "Nope. None of my business. Not anymore."

Her father said, "Veronica, we've been over this."

She turned her back on him and returned to packing up her things. "Yeah. We sure have."

"I don't expect you to understand, but…"

Veronica interrupted, "You're right. I _don't_ understand. I'm not a parent, so I couldn't _possibly_ get it."

His answer was cut off by someone breezing through the door. "Hi, can I help you?"

"I think so, Keith. How have you been?"

Veronica's head came up at the sound of that voice and she covered up her father's response by blurting, "Miss James?" Her father looked equally surprised by the sudden arrival of the school's grief counselor.

"Hi, Veronica. How are you?"

She shrugged. "OK. I'm surprised to see you here." Especially after spilling the beans to her father about Becky passing bad currency.

Rebecca smiled awkwardly. "I have some business with your father."

Her Dad seemed surprised by this revelation. "Come right in, Becky."

Veronica watched the door close and wondered if her bug was still active. Scratch that thought. Her Dad always swept his office, so he would have found it long ago. With a sigh, she sank into the chair and leaned her chin on her hands. Maybe her Dad was right. Maybe she really was done here.

Duncan almost made it to the front steps before his mother caught up with him. "Duncan, would you care to explain this?"

She unfurled the afternoon paper and handed it to him. He stared down at a picture of himself and Logan horsing around and smiled. "Wow, that was fast."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"We were swimming. Big deal. End of story."

Her blue eyes narrowed and he suddenly realized how much they looked like cat's eyes. _Bitchy_, like a female Siamese. Yeah, that was his Mom all right. "Your father and I don't want you hanging around with Logan."

Duncan shrugged. "Too bad. He's my friend, and he needs me right now."

"You have _other_ friends."

He thought about that for a second. "Do I? Suppose I were in Logan's shoes and all our money was gone and Dad was in jail. Do you suppose all these _friends_ of mine would stand behind me?"

"Of course they would. Dick and Beaver and Sean have always been there for you."

Duncan laughed. "Sure they have, Mom. I can count all the times they called and offered their support during the last year." He formed his fingers into a zero and backed toward the door. "They treat Logan like shit, Mom. They're _not_ friends, and they're not the kind of people I want to associate with."

Celeste remained unconvinced. "Their parents are friends of ours. We still have to socialize with them."

"_Good _for you. Look, I have an appointment, so I have to get going."

"Your father is going to have a chat with you when you get back."

"Sure thing, Mom. I look forward to it." Duncan waved and practically ran out the door, knowing she was watching from the portico. With a sigh, he realized that he hadn't even started dealing with _her_ and all the shit she'd pulled on him. Time enough for that. It was going to be a very _long_ summer.

Logan nodded his thanks at Mrs. Navarro when she brought his lunch out to the pool. He flipped open the newspaper and laughed at the front page. Some daring photographer had caught him and Duncan rough-housing in the pool. With a dry chuckle, he turned to the accompanying story and snickered at the insinuation that he played both sides of the street. "Maybe I should mail this to Jake."

He opened a second tabloid and stared at a picture of him flipping off a reporter, complete with bloodshot eyes and two days growth of beard. "At least it's in focus."

A shadow fell onto the table. "_Very_ flattering, bro'."

Logan squinted up at Trina. "Look what the cat dragged in."

She blew him a kiss and stole half his sandwich. "Hope you don't mind."

He raised an eyebrow as she tucked into the remains of his chicken salad with gusto. "What, they're not feeding you on the farm?"

Trina's smile slipped a notch. "Fuck you. Look, I came to see how you were doing. Is there anything you need?"

Logan snorted. "Talk about a day late and a dollar short."

"I was out of town."

"That's always been the convenient excuse."

"It happens to be true."

"_Whatever_." He folded up the paper and stared at her coldly. "What do you really want, Trina?"

"Dad wants to see you."

"And I care…_because_?" He took his Mom's lighter out of his pocket and started flicking the wheel.

"He's our father. And there's no real proof that he did this."

Logan almost threw the lighter in her face. "What kind of proof do you want? Veronica flambé and a side of Keith Mars?" Her face paled at his words, but he wasn't done by a long shot. "Did they tell you he used Mom's lighter to set them on fire?"

Trina gasped. "You're lying."

"Sure I am. Why don't you talk to his fan club? They have a blow-by-blow description on his official web site. And get this: they've even taken out a full page ad in Variety to get him released from jail." He watched her eyes widen in shock and started snapping his fingers. "What's the matter, Trina? Can't keep up? I'm _truly_ shocked. And here I thought you were blowing the press for all they were worth."

"You are such…" Her voice faltered as tears filled her eyes.

"Come on, _say_ it. The suspense is _killing_ me." Logan pretended to yawn. "Asshole. Bastard. Loser."

"Why do I even bother?" she cried, jumping to her feet and throwing her bread crusts on his plate.

"Must be that masochistic streak. We seem to thrive on pain, don't we?' Trina merely shook her head and headed for the door. "_Nice_ to see you, sis. Come again soon," he called sarcastically.

Eavesdropping was out of the question, so Veronica gave up and started carrying her boxes to the car. On the third trip, she stumbled on the stairs and started to pitch forward, saved only by a strong pair of arms grabbing her elbows. She looked over the box and nearly drowned in Duncan's cerulean blue eyes. "Thanks," she said, feeling a little faint at the way he was looking at her.

"No problem." He placed the box on the stairs and looked at the pile of boxes on the 2nd floor landing. "Need some help with those?"

"Sure." She picked up her camera equipment and he followed her down with a box of files. "My father is in with Miss James. You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?"

They got to her car and put the boxes in the back seat. For a minute, Duncan seemed to waver and then admitted, "Logan called her and asked if she could talk to your Dad."

Veronica's face started burning with shame, thinking that her ex was treating her way better than she deserved. "Why?"

"I guess he figured that your Dad used to like her and might listen to reason."

She shook her head. "He doesn't usually change his mind. This was his first time away on overnight travel since…well you know. Dad seems to fret over every little thing and sometimes I think he should be in therapy, not me."

"Is therapy helping you?"

"I don't know. It gets me out of the house and I suppose it's good to talk to someone with an outside perspective."

Duncan sidled closer, his eyes darkening as he took in her tight pink shirt and jeans. "You know you always have me, right?"

Veronica felt a little breathless when his gaze stopped on her lips for a long beat. "Of course," she smiled, surprised by her reaction to him after all this time.

"Veronica, there's something I've been meaning to say since you found out the truth about Shelly's party."

"What's that?" she asked quietly, looking down when he grasped her forearms gently.

"I still care about you…a _lot_."

His gaze was open and expectant and the last thing she wanted to do was tear his heart out. "I care about you too." That much was true, though she couldn't say whether love was part of the equation. "But I also like Logan."

Duncan nodded unhappily. "I know. And I'm not trying to force the issue, because God knows you have enough on your mind, but sooner or later, you'll have to choose. You must know that."

She nodded sadly, hardly knowing what to say to this beautiful boy with his gorgeous eyes fixed on hers. "Miss James is coming out. You better go upstairs."

Logan's parade of visitors continued all day, and that didn't even count the reporters and other scum that were haunting his doorstep. Barry showed up first, all sweaty palmed and nervous. "Come on in, Barr. Can I get you something? Tequila? Vodka? Whatever you want, it's yours." He smacked his head as if he forgot something. "Wait. That all belongs to the Kanes now."

"I've spoken to their attorney and they said you can stay here until after your hearing. After that, you are on your own."

"Gee, I can hardly wait." Logan rubbed his hands together in glee and did one of his Tigger hops, which only made Barry sweat even more.

"Have you given any thought to your Grandfather's offer?"

He nodded. "That's _very_ kind of Grandpa, but someone came forward at the last minute."

"_Really_?" Barry looked discomfited.

"Yeah. My mother's sister offered to take me in." It was a blatant lie, but Barry didn't have to know that.

"Why hasn't she contacted me?"

"I'm sure she'll get around to it. Apparently she just got back in the country and hasn't had a chance to get out this way. Should I put her in touch with you? I think her lawyer will be here in a few days for my hearing."

"_Oh_. Would you happen to know her lawyer's name?"

"Stella Rheinhart. Heard of her?"

Barry gulped like a fish and coughed. "Yes. She's a big-time criminal attorney. Your aunt must have thrown some money around to get her to handle a small case like this."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Ah, but it's great publicity. Defending the obnoxious offspring of Aaron Echolls. The press will have a field day with it."

"Please ask your aunt to contact me at her earliest convenience so we can firm up your living arrangements."

"Will do, Barry. Sure you don't want to stay? Maybe a dip in the pool? I'd ask you to supper, but the help has gone home…_permanently _and I guess my Dad's not here to fire up the grill—he's _so_ good at that." He'd had to fire Weevil's grandmother today, and what a crappy deal that had been. Logan liked the old lady and was sorry to see her go.

Barry flushed. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too."

The door had barely closed on Barry when the bell rang again. Logan flung it open and glared into the startled eyes of Rebecca James. "Hello, Logan. Is this a bad time?"

"No time like the present, Becky." He moved aside to let her pass. "I hope you've come with some good news.

"Have a seat." Keith offered the chair in front of his desk.

Duncan flashed a fake smile at Keith Mars. "Thanks for taking the time to see me."

"So, how can I help you, Duncan?"

He dug his foot into the carpet and noticed how it pilled under his toe. "I'm here about Veronica."

"This is the _business_ you wanted to discuss?" Keith seemed faintly amused by this notion.

"Yes, sir." Always the polite one. Celeste would be so proud.

"What is this, a global conspiracy? First I have Miss James, and now you. Who's next, Logan Echolls?"

Duncan shook his head. "_That's_ not going to happen. I just heard…well, that Veronica no longer works for you."

"You heard correctly."

"Can I ask why?"

Keith leaned forward in his chair and placed his hands squarely on the desk. "Veronica and I almost died. She's constantly putting herself in danger. She's been forced into compromising situations that a teenager shouldn't have to face. And best of all, she was forced into betraying her boyfriend for the greater good. Do you think that's normal?"

Duncan shrugged. "To be honest, Mr. Mars, I hardly know what normal is anymore. But I do know that Veronica is really good at what she does, and I know that it's kept her from flipping out over Lilly's death."

Keith sighed. "I suppose that's possible, but it's also kept her from dealing with her grief. It's all repressed, and when it comes out, I'm afraid of the fallout."

"So you think that taking her from what she loves is a healthy solution?"

"I don't know, but it's the only thing I can think of. I want her to have a normal senior year and worry about normal teenage stuff, not dash off in the middle of the night after clues. I want her to think about prom dresses and beach parties."

Either Keith was hitting the crack pipe, or he was mainlining on Sandra Dee. "Mr. Mars, with all due respect, I think it's too late for that."

"I don't agree. My daughter is still innocent in many ways, and I want her to reclaim that."

Duncan tried not to smile. There was no innocence left between the three of them. Logan had made sure of that. "She's not."

"What?"

"_Innocent_."

Keith's eyes narrowed. "Duncan, is there something you're not telling me?"

This was tons of fun and getting better by the second. "Probably."

Anger sparkled in Keith's eyes. "I'm not interested in playing 20 questions. If there's something I need to know, then please tell me."

"I _can't_." Shelly's party was a sore subject that still rubbed him raw. "I'm sorry, but this is Veronica's tale to tell, not mine."

Keith loosed a frustrated sigh. "Then maybe you should leave."

"But I'm not finished…"

Keith cut him off. "Actually, you are."

Time to literally stand his ground. Duncan rose to his feet and used his height advantage for the first time in his life. He walked to the side of the desk and forced Keith to look up at him. "I have one more thing to say. I really care about Veronica, and I'd do anything for her. Forcing her out is a mistake, and one you'll live to regret."

"Is that so?"

Duncan nodded. "I understand your concerns as a parent, but I think you could meet her halfway."

Keith said nothing for a moment. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Keep her on as your receptionist. Let her handle the day to day stuff."

"She'll be bored."

"Maybe, but at least she'll be involved."

"That won't help my solve rate."

"True, but you could always hire another investigator. If your case load is high enough, you can easily afford it."

Keith looked off into space. "Yes, I could. You know, Duncan, I think you've hit on something here."

He blinked his eyes in amazement. "Really?"

Keith nodded. "Thanks for coming over. I'll give this some serious thought."

Duncan smiled and offered his hand. "Thanks for listening."

He followed Keith to the door and was about to leave when Keith said, "You're welcome. Don't be a stranger."

Duncan paused and looked back. "I won't. Thanks."

Rebecca James was totally fucking hot. Logan watched as she sashayed to the couch and knew Aaron would agree. Becky was _exactly_ his type. _Like father, like son_, he thought in sudden disgust. With a casual smile, he asked, "How do you do it?"

She arranged her features carefully around her smile. "Do what?"

"_This_. Poking your nose in other people's lives for a living. I mean, one step further and you'd be out at the gate with the rest of the trash."

Her brows knitted together. "I don't understand. You called and asked for my help, Logan. If you don't want me here, then just say the word."

Logan rubbed his forehead. "No, _please_…I'm an ass. I'm in a crappy mood and you happen to be a convenient target."

"Don't worry. I'm used to it."

"Yeah. Look, what went down with Veronica's dad? Did he listen to reason?"

"I'm not sure. He was pretty defensive at first and wanted to know how I knew what I did. When I wouldn't reveal my sources, he wanted to throw me out, but I stood up to him. Told him that Veronica needed him more than ever, and that the work they do together is paramount to her happiness."

"_Paramount_, huh?" Logan smiled at her word choice. "What did he say after that?"

"He talked about you."

"Ooh, hit me with your best shot," he cracked.

"It wasn't that bad."

"No? Doesn't he read the papers? Doesn't he hear what they're saying? It's _all_ true, you know. I really do dance with the devil when I'm not having my head bashed in by bikers."

Becky shook her head. "Give the guy some credit. He might think you're a bad influence on his daughter, but he's smart enough to see past the hype."

Logan pretended to wipe the sweat from his brow. "_Whew_. Too bad Aaron's fans don't share his brain."

Her dark eyes filled with pity. "Keith is also worried about your stability, Logan. You've lost a lot in the past year, and this last month has been particularly tough. Given the circumstances and Veronica's rather fragile state of mind, he thinks it's best if you keep your distance—for _now_."

He felt a slim ray of hope. "Did he really say that?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes. And I can tell you—they both feel really bad for turning you in. I didn't talk to Veronica, but her Dad told me the scoop. She talks in her sleep and your name usually comes up."

His face reddened slightly at her scrutiny. "I don't know what to say."

Becky smiled. "You don't have to say anything. It's all there in your face."

Logan touched his forehead for a moment to shield his flaming cheeks. "_Shit_. And here I thought I was an international man of mystery." When she laughed, he added, "C'mon, don't you see me as the next James Bond?"

"That wasn't my first thought, but there is a certain raffish charm about you," she observed.

He was curiously flattered by her backhanded compliment. "_Wow_. Can you add that to my personal file?"

"Wish I could, but I'm in private practice now."

"Parted ways with the school, huh? Can't say I blame you. So what else did Keith tell you?"

"Not much. He thanked me for dropping by and said he'd think about what I said."

"_Huh_. Well, that's something I guess," Logan said, starting to rise but fell back to the couch when he saw the resolve in her face. "What?"

"I'm more concerned about you right now."

Logan's bullshit meter went straight to red alert. He folded his arms and flopped back against his seat. "I'd like to believe that, Becky, but every fucking person in my life has let me down. Why should you be any different?"

"I'm nothing special, Logan, but I'll never try to feed you a line. Honestly, I saw your call as a cry for help. Not only for Veronica, but for yourself as well. I've seen the way you interact with people. And no, I'm not talking about the fights or the disagreements with teachers. I try to look past the pain and see what's in a person's heart. When I first spoke to you, I think we connected. Sure, you gave me the snark, but you also showed some honest emotion. Not everyone can say that."

Tears welled in Logan's eyes and he looked away for a moment, disgusted by his weakness. When he finally turned back to face her, the unwelcome moisture was mostly gone. "None of that meant anything. It was an experiment, and we were your lab rats."

Becky sighed, "I know it seems that way, but…"

He held up his hands to ward her off. "I can't do this right now. It's too fresh in my mind and I need to process it. Please understand. I totally appreciate that you went to bat for Veronica, and I won't forget this. But it's not about me right now…"

She smiled. "Don't you get it, Logan? It's _all_ about you and your link to Veronica. It starts and ends with you."

Logan stared at her and could hardly bear the kindness in her eyes. "_Me_," he said after a long pause.

"Yes." Becky stood up and handed him her card. "Call me if you need anything. I can see myself out."

In stunned shock, he watched her retreating back until it disappeared behind Door #1. Put in those terms, his life could be neatly sectioned into this deal and that transaction, only missing Monty Hall to sort it all out.

Backup dragged Veronica down the beach and out to the surf line. He was back to his old self, tongue lolling as he smiled at the world around him. But that didn't alleviate her guilt, or make her forget her negligence. She picked a stone up and hurled it with all her might. It skipped a few times before disappearing with a loud splash.

Someone started clapping and she turned to see Luke approaching with his boogie board under one arm. "Hey, Mars, you have quite an arm. Ever think about joining the girl's softball team?"

Veronica smiled and stopped to wait for him. "Nope. I'm an armchair Padres fan and damned proud of it."

Luke chuckled. "You and everyone else. Say, have you seen Logan around? He and I were supposed to go surfing and he blew me off."

"I haven't seen him since we got arrested." She was happy that someone cared enough to ask after Logan. Luke wouldn't have been the first person to come to mind, but he'd never been part of the hardcore 09er crowd.

Luke replied, "The sheriff is a dickhead. Everyone knows it, and everyone I know thinks your Dad should get his job back."

Veronica looked up at Luke with her mouth open. "You're kidding? No one's said a word to me."

"Well, they wouldn't," Luke admitted with a tiny smile. "They're all afraid of you."

Now _that_ didn't surprise her one bit. "Yeah, well, considering I have case files on half the school…" When she saw his nonplussed expression, she added, "_Kidding_. You think I have time to track everyone at Neptune?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't know, Veronica. You're a formidable opponent. If people are smart, they won't fuck with you."

"Does that include you?" she asked with a half smile, stopping to let Backup nose at a broken shell.

He laughed nervously. "Well, I'm not the sharpest knife in the rack, but I know better than to cross you."

His little dig hit home and she decided that Luke was a lot smarter than he let on. "By the way, I never thanked you."

"For what?"

"Being honest with me about Shelly's party."

Luke coughed with embarrassment. "T-that was nothing. Least I could do…considering how we treated you."

The old Veronica would have turned the screw and made him squirm for standing by while the others messed with her. But the Veronica that was trying to get past it pasted on her most forgiving smile and decided to let it go. "It's OK."

Luke turned to face her. "What we did sucked. And maybe Madison, Dick, and Sean can pretend that everything is cool, but I can't. I know that doesn't make up for what happened, but I thought you should know…you have more friends than you think."

Her eyes welled with tears. "I…thanks, Luke." She touched his arm lightly and smiled when Backup wormed his way between them to sniff Luke's crotch.

He grinned at the dog and patted his head absently. "You know, I might see Logan later today. Anything you want me to tell him?"

Veronica opened her purse and handed over a sealed letter. "Could you give him this? I probably won't see him until his hearing."

"Sure. Take care, Veronica." Luke started to turn toward the parking lot and stopped to look back at her. "You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, give me a ring. I'm in the book."

His unexpected kindness caught her up short. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

Duncan saw Veronica talking to Luke and wondered when he'd turned from overly concerned ex-boyfriend into stalker. He thought about their earlier conversation and wanted to take back every word.

…_sooner or later, you'll have to choose. You must know that…_

Why the fuck had he given her an ultimatum? Yeah, he'd couched his demands with empathetic words about all she was going through, but the end result was the same. And why the hell was he sitting her like some lovesick loser, staring from the anonymous safety of Lilly's Mercedes and its privacy glass? Unlike Logan's SUV, this car did not stand out like a beacon and was but one of many expensive cars in the lot. Leave it to Logan to make a statement wherever he went, though Duncan suspected that the statement came from Aaron and not his recalcitrant offspring.

Duncan rested his head in his hands and sighed, thinking of the half dozen missed calls on his cell phone from his parents. Celeste started off worried and ended up with that strident note in her voice that he despised. Staying away was easy and helped his push aside the hurdles that he had to overcome before he could forgive his parents.

Words had never been easy for him. His Dad might think he was cut out for some kind of political career, but that was far from Duncan's view of himself. As Veronica had once told him, he stood 'idly by' and watched the world go by. That was always easier. Stand back and let someone else lead. That was real, so why couldn't he turn his fantasies into reality? Why did the words flow so easily in his mind when he conjured up imaginary fights with his bitchy mother?

_"You drugged me, Mom."_

_"You made me think Veronica was my sister, and I suffered for over a year because of your lies."_

_"And I think you also lied about my medical condition. What is really causing my seizures?"_

Another sigh brought him to the night of Logan's party. Talk about opening Pandora's box. Seeing Logan in a clench with Veronica had killed him—it still killed him to think about it. The two of them together seemed so _wrong_. Logan had spent an entire year railing against Veronica and making her life miserable and suddenly she was his girlfriend? He'd watched them join hands and he'd seen the way Logan faced off with Dick and knew this was serious. This was no casual fling. When Logan gave his heart, he gave it completely, no holds barred and no looking back. For him to show up with the girl that used to be his enemy was tantamount to social suicide—for _most_ people, but not for the son of Aaron Echolls. And even now that his star had fallen, Logan was still going to bat for Veronica, though she was the last person he should be helping.

Meg was but a distant memory. She'd run off that night and when he finally caught up to her, she said they were done, and no, they couldn't be friends. Meg had been calm enough, but her words had cut deeply, saying he was damaged and that he should avoid relationships until he was sure what he wanted. Meg, so charming, and so much like the dream of his old Veronica.

Duncan raised his head and saw Veronica walking back in the direction of her apartment building. The new Veronica confused the hell out of him. She was sweet and sour Veronica, like someone had thrown down a lump of sugar and doused it with vinegar. The Veronica he once knew would never have distrusted her best and oldest friends. She would never have bugged offices or pulled medical records, for how else could she have gotten that information? He'd been enraged by her actions, yet part of him had to wonder if she was on to something. But even with that, he'd done what he always did. He ran away, unable to face the consequences.

How could he forgive his mother for ruining his happiness? How could he forgive his best friend for drugging him and taking away his innocence? Why did the people in his life keep letting him down? Was there anything he could count on? Perhaps it was the belief that he still had a chance with Veronica, that he hadn't imagined the look in her eyes when he'd declared his intentions. He started up the car and knew this was one time where he wouldn't be standing idly by.

Logan stared at the letter with trembling hands and growing dread. Luke had dropped it off earlier with some offhand remarks about Veronica worrying and maybe he should call her.

His friend's visit had been unexpected but appreciated. Luke was one of the only guys left who still gave him the time of day and seemed to genuinely care about his well being. "What do you think it says?"

Luke had shrugged. "Who knows? The girl is a mystery and she's not about to confide in me."

True enough. When Luke saw that he wasn't in the mood for company, he'd taken the hint and left as quickly as he'd arrived, leaving Logan alone with the letter and his spiraling anxiety.

_Dear Logan,_

_This is my zillionth attempt to write to you. You'd think that someone who keeps such detailed dossiers would have a clue when it comes to what she feels in her heart. Oh, right, I don't have a heart. Scratch that. I'm just the Tin man, or maybe I'm the Cowardly Lion, because I didn't have the guts to confront you with my fears._

_We ended before we started. Did we ever have a chance? Lilly would say no. You know, sometimes I still see Lilly, and I ask her what she thinks about us. She always laughs and never really gives me an answer. I don't know what this says about me—seeing Lilly and all—so maybe the people who say I'm certifiable are right._

_I don't know myself anymore. I don't recognize the person I see in the mirror every morning. I don't recognize the things that I do in my dreams with my body wrapped around yours, but I do know that I always wake up with your name on my lips. You accept me unconditionally. I can't really pinpoint when this happened. Maybe it was that moment that I held you in the hotel lobby, or perhaps it was the time that I ripped up your check. And possibly, it was always there in the background, buried deep by the anger and hurt of the past year. _

_But do you really know me? I mean, **know** me know me. Sure, we hung out as a group, but you were always Lilly's boyfriend and I was only there because of Duncan. But honestly, were we ever really friends? Would you have protected me like you do now? I can't answer that question. And that is telling, don't you think? 'Cuz here's the thing. Based on my actions over the past few months, it's pretty clear that I have major trust issues. Not just with you, but with every part of my life. It seemed far easier to fall into your arms than face my demons and my doubts. It's also clear that I don't know you at **all**. For if I did, how could I possibly think you raped me and killed Lilly?_ _That lack of trust says some pretty scary things about me and makes me doubt we can make this work. But even with that, there are things you need to know._

_You know there are tapes with your father and Lilly, but you don't know how I found them. It all became obvious that night in your pool house. When I was lying there, I looked up and saw this hole in the ceiling and I started thinking it looked like a lens. When I followed the wiring across the wall, I found this cabinet and opened it up to see all these video monitors. I could see myself in the monitor from different angles. It creeped me out and I had to get out of there. I told you that I run when things get out of control, and this was one of those times. Rather than asking you about it, I called Weevil and took off with him. I'm so damned sorry that I didn't talk this over with you. It would have changed everything, but it just underscores how fucked up I am. Also, when you opened that air vent, it made me remember that Lilly did the same thing. It didn't hit me right away, but when I started thinking about it, I started thinking that Lilly hid something there. On the day she died, she told me she had some big secret but I never figured out what that was. _

_Duncan had some big party at his house and I posed as one of the help. Duncan caught me going through Lilly's things and when I told him what I believed, he and I found the tapes and viewed them. Even at that point, I desperately wanted to believe you and looked for your letter, but it never came to light. Finding out it was your father on those tapes with Lilly…it makes me sick. I still can't believe it. I mean, I certainly think your father was capable of the things he did, but Lilly? I guess I really didn't know her that well either, did I? Liking guys is one thing, but screwing someone who is three times your age? It just makes no sense._

_I am sorry that I doubted you. And I am doubly sorry that my snooping put me in a position where I had to turn over evidence against someone I care deeply about. It was not what I wanted, but my father wasn't about to listen to reason. And I could see where this was headed, but I did nothing to stop it. I did nothing to defend you, and that is pretty much unforgivable. I've snooped on my friends and intruded on their privacy and that pretty much means I'm not much of a friend when I care more about solving the case than their feelings. _

_There is something else I need to tell you about Duncan and me. I am sure it's the last thing you want to read, but I want to clear the air between us. If we are ever to start fresh, we need to be completely honest about everything. Over the last year, I discovered that my Mom had an affair with Jake Kane. In fact, they were high school sweethearts. It started raising all these questions about who my real father was. Apparently Duncan's mother had the same questions. When she looked at me and Lilly, I guess she was struck by the resemblance, and after finding out about the affair, she put two and two together and assumed that Jake was my father. Now you know the real reason why Duncan broke up with me. Even worse, when he slept with me at Shelly's party, he believed he was my brother but he still slept with me. So that's our dirty little secret. You'll never hear about it from Duncan. Oh, anyway, my Dad had a paternity test done and he is my real father. I am not related to the Kanes. And lastly, Duncan told me that he still loves me. I am not telling this to hurt you, though God knows I have done far too much of that lately. I don't know what to do about this, but I have to do something, for the sake of our friendship._

_I don't know if this changes anything between us, but I thought you deserved to know everything._

_Love,_

_  
Veronica_

The smell of lasagna greeted her as she came through the door with Backup. "What's the occasion?" Veronica asked as she unhooked Backup's leash from his collar.

Her father smiled from behind the counter. "Can't a guy cook for his daughter?"

"Sure, but BBQ is more your style. Lasagna was always Mom's thing." Veronica suddenly realized what she'd said and gave herself a mental slap. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize. You weren't the one who checked out of rehab, and you sure as hell didn't steal that check," Keith said, turning at the sound of the bell and removing the pan of lasagna.

She moved to the cabinet and grabbed some plates. "Maybe not, but I was dumb enough to trust her."

Her hands slid to the silverware drawer but were stopped by her father's hand on her arm. "So was I. It means we're human. We learn from our mistakes, and we move on."

Veronica blinked away a few tears and retrieved a set of forks and knives. "Wish it was that easy."

"Nothing that's worth anything is easy," he replied gently, moving the lasagna to the trivet on the table.

She nodded and helped herself to a tiny corner of the pan. "This looks good."

"It's Alicia's recipe." Her Dad's eyes sparkled mischievously and Veronica suddenly knew she'd been conned.

"Ah, so I'm expected to believe that you whipped this up yourself?" She rolled her eyes and grinned.

Keith chuckled. "It was worth a try."

"You should have invited her over."

"I'll do that next time. We haven't had much time to ourselves since Aaron's arrest, and there's a lot to discuss."

She picked at her salad and avoided his eyes for a moment, feeling his warm gaze searching her face. "Yeah."

"It was an interesting day," he commented neutrally.

Veronica was not fooled by his tone. "Was it now? Did you find that special Girl Friday? Oh, wait, is _that_ why Miss James stopped by?"

"Veronica," Keith started, "You have a right to be angry, but if you'll let me explain…"

Her throat suddenly closed on her lasagna and she coughed for a good 30 seconds before water restored her balance. "Sure," she said hoarsely, swallowing another half liter of water while her Dad watched her with his sweet, concerned face.

"We can talk about this later if you want."

"No, it's really OK." Veronica had been forcibly reminded of that night when she'd demanded explanations and apologies from Logan and watched him crumple under the onslaught. "So, what did Miss James have to say?"

"She came to plead your case," Keith stated with bemusement.

She laughed humorlessly. "Miss James is hardly my greatest fan. Why would she help me?"

"I don't know, but Becky's a persuasive lady," Keith admitted.

"I see. So when did she become such an expert on my life?" Veronica slipped some lasagna to Backup and watched him snap it up like a starving cur.

"I asked her the same question, but she wouldn't reveal her sources."

Veronica mulled that over and knew that Duncan arriving right behind Miss James was no coincidence. "Persuasive _and_ stubborn. Sound like anyone you know?"

Keith mussed her hair. "She thinks I'm being too hard on you."

She snorted. "Bet you loved hearing that."

He sat back in his chair and looked thoughtful. "She's right, Veronica. I've been focused so closely on Lilly's case that I started losing my perspective. It's hard to take off the Dad hat and look at things objectively."

"But you're the Dad. You have to do that."

"That's true, but I've forgotten what it means to be 17. Alicia reminded me that you're not 40, though you act older than most adults. When I think of the things you've given up…" Keith's voice cracked with emotion and he stopped to compose himself.

Veronica slid her chair over to her Dad's and took his hand. "It was _my_ choice, Dad."

"But you shouldn't have had to _make_ those choices, Veronica. And I shouldn't have let you go down that road."

"Maybe not, but does any of that matter now?"

"Of _course_ it matters," he countered forcibly, dark eyes cloudy with frustration and anger. "You're my daughter, and I've taken your childhood away from you."

"Don't you think I had a part in that?" Veronica asked quietly, thinking that two of her closest friends were also equally guilty in destroying her innocence. "I knew what I was

getting into when I went after the truth."

Keith gave her a strange look. "No, you didn't, Veronica. You charged in blindly with no plan in place. And look where it's gotten you."

Shit. _Fuck_. He knew something, but what could it be? "Yeah," was all she said, because sorry seemed so inadequate.

"Hell, look where we've both ended up," he said sadly. "This wasn't what I wanted for you, Veronica. I want to make things better, but I don't know how. You clearly need someone to talk to, and I can't be that person all the time. So I thought maybe someone like Becky James could help."

"Let me guess. She left her card in hopes of drumming up some new business," Veronica guessed, feeling only slightly triumphant when her Dad's face reddened.

"_Yes_, but she is genuinely concerned about you," he averred.

_I'll bet she is_.

Veronica kept her sarcasm to herself. "That's all well and good, but there won't be too much time for therapy with all the community service you have planned for me."

Keith nearly spit out his water and neatly recovered with a few embarrassed coughs. "Actually, that's not an issue."

"Since when?" She raised an eyebrow and placed her fork on top of her plate.

"Well, I've had second thoughts about my decision and realized I was being way too hard on you. And while I have grave concerns for your safety, removing you completely is not in anyone's best interests," Keith replied.

"_Oh_. But what about the ad?"

"I called the paper and cancelled the ad. The job is already filled."

"D-Dad, I don't understand," Veronica stammered, clenching her fists in her lap.

"No one is better at answering the phones than you, and you know the office like the back of your hand. And typing? You run rings around most people."

"You want me back?" Her voice came out as a squeak.

"Of _course_ I do."

"But if I'm out helping with cases…" Veronica let her voice trail off and waited for him to fill in the blanks.

"You _won't_ be. I'm hiring someone as my second while you run the office for me."

Veronica felt like she'd been gut punched for the second time in as many days. First he'd ripped the rug out from under her by removing her completely and then he'd patched things up with this Band-Aid of a job. Part of her was singing his hosannas but the rest of her wanted to roll over and die. Because either way, she was done as an investigator. "I see."

"I know you're disappointed, but maybe we can phase you back in on smaller cases when the need arises." Her father's eyes begged for her understanding.

She let the darkest of her thoughts swirl away and finally nodded. "OK, Dad. What about the 500 dollar fine?"

"I'll deduct that from your paycheck until it's paid off. Sound good?"

Veronica sighed. "It sounds _fair._ By the way, was this Miss James's idea?

Her Dad picked up his plate and carried it to the sink. "Actually, no, it was Duncan's."

She managed not to let her mouth drop open at that news. "So _that's_ what he wanted. I thought it was business."

Keith shrugged. "From his perspective, I guess it was. You know, I was rather impressed by the way he pleaded your case. He'll make a helluva lawyer someday."

Veronica smiled to hide her embarrassment. "Guess I owe him a thank you."

"Why don't you invite him over for dinner? I promise not to chase him away with my cooking."

"Sounds like a plan," she murmured as she got to her feet. "So, does this mean I'm not grounded anymore?"

Keith looked over at her. "Yes, but there's one caveat. You can go wherever you want as long as you check in and are home by midnight."

"Deal," she replied, feeling happier than she had in a long while.

Duncan stared at his house from the darkness at the end of the driveway. It was late and his parents were worried. He could see them pacing in the living room. His mother's diamonds were flashing in the light as she waved her hands in Jake's face. His father merely stood there like he always did when Celeste got into one of her fits.

_Maybe it's Mom who needs meds_, Duncan thought with a tight smile. _Or maybe we both do._ He was his mother's baby and she'd never let him forget it. Only he _wasn't_. No, he'd never be anyone's baby again. He'd never go back to the light or the innocence that were far beyond his reach.

_Should I tell them everything? Wouldn't they love to know that my best friend drugged me, or that I fucked Veronica when I thought she was my sister? _That last part would especially stick in Celeste's craw and he decided he'd do it. He'd spill his guts and watch the blood flow. It would be fun to make them squirm. His perfect parents had had their neat little life and their 2 children and their beautiful house.

_And then there was 1, and what a fuck-up I've turned out to be. _

Duncan wondered if he could choreograph his life inside a Sims game. Program each person and turn the screws on everyone. Would their lives implode like his own, or would they go on yammering their silly chatter and leaving dishes on the floor? Perhaps he would create himself as the homicidal son who burned the house down with a few strategically placed rocket launchers. He hadn't gone that far, but he did have the latest version stashed on his laptop with a few saved games. One featured him and Veronica as _the_ perfect couple, so much in love that they practically melted the screen. And then there was the Lilly game where she lived as a perpetual party animal, stringing along men like the shells in Logan's necklace. He'd set it up after her death and made the Lilly Sim look so real that he often got lost in the Sims dream world. The Lilly Sim called him Donut and admonished him for his passivity. Maybe the Lilly Sim was possessed by the ghost of the real Lilly.

He smiled grimly and got out of the car that he'd trashed only a month ago. It was completely restored to showroom condition and you'd never know that he'd bashed in half the door and most of the glass. His parents had had a conniption fit and when he refused to explain his actions, they'd confined him to home quarters for a week. An old-fashioned grounding for the new bad boy. Only he wasn't all that bad. Not by Lilly terms. He'd survived, while she had fallen. Or was that the other way around? Lilly had blown this joint and ascended to new heights, her star burning ever brighter with time. But her escape was short-lived, because Veronica Mars had brought it all crashing down on the Kanes. Their sainted daughter was now publicly lambasted as a trollop, her grave vandalized by the overzealous fans of Aaron Echolls. Twice he had been up to the cemetery to fix the damage, knowing it was pointless and knowing he'd be up there again.

Duncan opened the door and grinned at the looks on his parents' faces. "Hey, guys," he drawled, weaving slightly as he threw down his jacket and waited for the shit to come down on his head.

"Have you been drinking?" his father asked quietly.

"Sure have," Duncan admitted with a laugh. "You know that vintage bottle of Macallan you were saving for a special occasion? All gone." At his mother's horrified look, he giggled and invited her ire with a bring it on gesture.

"I suppose Logan Echolls put you up to this," she sniped

He shook his head. "Why should he get all the credit? This was _my_ idea."

His parents closed in on him and sat him down on the couch, their faces drawn with concern and more than a little anger. "I wouldn't brag about it, Duncan," Jake said with a stern face.

"Why not? It's quite a feat keeping that stuff down when you have no stomach for it. And it's an even greater feat to string two words together without slurring them." Duncan jumped to his feet and raised his arms in triumph. "What's the matter with you people? Can't you see me for what I really am?"

With a jaded laugh that cut through their silence, he made his way to the stairs and announced, "Celeste, Jake, I think I'll go throw up now."

Logan lay on the bed in the pool house and stared up at the ceiling, just as Veronica had done on that pivotal night of his party. He tried to put himself in her mind and figure out what she'd been thinking, but it was no use. There was no way he could ever be that clever, though apparently Lilly _was_.

"_Lilly found them, you know_," Duncan had told him.

"**Found what**?" He'd been flat on his back with ice on both his black eyes.

_"The camera. And the tapes with her and…well, you know."_

"**Yeah**." Why not spell it out for him? He could handle it. Shit, he'd just survived the ass kicking of his life.

_"I suppose you knew about the cameras." _

Logan had smirked through his pain. "**Christ, Duncan, why not kill me now and get it over with? Yeah, Aaron was an open book. We colluded on everything. I turned him on to Lilly and watched while he fucked her. But the crème de la crème of my video collection was watching him bash her in the head."**

Duncan's eyes had ignited into a glowing neon and he'd clearly been ready to leap into action, but some semblance of humanity had stayed his hand. "_Sorry, I had to ask._"

**"Oh, spare me the fucking apologies. I'll never win any awards for my charm, and I'm pretty sure that I'll always be an asshole, but a perverted killer? No fucking way, and if you and Ronnie haven't figured that out by now, then _fuck_ you." **

_"I never implied that you did it."_

He'd flashed his nastiest grin. "**But I obviously _knew_ what my Dad was planning. Thanks a fucking lot, Duncan."**

DK had chosen that moment to flame back at him. "_You think I'm the only one asking these questions?"_

His answering chuckle had nearly split his head in half. "**Yeah, man, because the police and the press obviously didn't give it much thought. And if they happened to forget, you can bet that Ronnie would be on the case. It's so comforting to know that my friends are behind me." **

Duncan's face had twitched with guilt, but his features quickly hardened back to their usual stone. _"I said I was sorry."_

**"Whatever. See that over there? That's called a door. I suggest you use it and get the fuck out of my face." **

That had been one of the high points of the past month. With a snort, Logan sat up and knew it was time to say good-bye. He set up his hand-held video camera on its tripod and placed it right near the bed. With a gleeful laugh, he hit the Record button and leaped onto the bed. In a mad dash, he jumped from cabinet to dresser and back to the bed. When he finally came to a halt, he unzipped his fly and pissed all over the bed, making sure he covered its entire surface. Logan then turned to the camera and extended both middle fingers. "This is for you, Daddy Dearest. Wanted you to know I was thinking of you." His Mom's lighter came out of his pocket and he flicked it into life, watching the flame for a few seconds before touching it to the bedspread. It caught fire instantly and after a few assists, he had a good bonfire going. With a smirk, Logan stepped away from the bed and stood behind his camera, laughing as the flames spread across the floor to the booze. When he was sure of the end result, he grabbed his camera and made his exit.

Veronica glanced at the clock with a sigh. It was just past midnight and sleep was nowhere in sight. Her insomnia had actually thrown her into a groove where she nodded off toward dawn, only to be rudely awakened by the alarm at 7AM. She moved over to her desk and pulled open her laptop. Might as well do some blogging to fill in the hours.

_Logan has the letter, and I know he's read it. What possessed me to write it? Did I do it for closure or was it me grasping at one last hope that he'd forgive me? I can't see it happening. He was drunk the other day. When he starts to think it over, he'll realize what a travesty our relationship has been. He'll think that I was using him. And maybe I was, but not for the reason he thinks. There was never an agenda. I never planned out my next move. It was fast and hot and mind-bending like that kiss at the Camelot. How can someone who barely knows me kiss me like that? Was that Logan giving thanks, or was he worshipping at my altar? Because the way he looked at me…it was the way he looked at Lilly. The way he laughed when he was with me…it was the way he was around her and no other time that I've ever seen. It was the only time that the smile reached his eyes. And now it's all gone. Because of me._

Her phone vibrated and she clicked it open to see Duncan's name. With a frown, she answered, "Hey."

"Hey, baby," he murmured huskily. "Sorry it's so late. Would have called sooner but I kind of passed out."

Her loins tingled at the intimate note in his voice. "Are you OK?"

Duncan laughed softly. "I am _now_. Had to hear your voice and make sure you were all right."

"Never better. By the way, thanks for today. My Dad's letting me out of jail."

"Glad I could help."

"I also wanted to see if you were free for dinner this Friday night."

She heard him sigh. "Are you asking me out?"

"Well, the dinner is here, and Dad's cooking. Burgers and dogs OK?"

Duncan giggled. "Sure. What time should I come by?

"Six."

"I'll be there. Should I bring anything?"

"Just you."

"OK, hey, did you see the news tonight?"

Veronica replied, "No. What did I miss?"

"Umm, there was a fire over at Logan's."

"Omigod, is he OK?" she cried.

"Dunno. All they said was something about the pool house burning down."

"I have to go check on him."

He sighed heavily. "At this hour? You know the press will be there and your picture will end up on the front page. Is that what you really want?"

God, what was wrong with him? "Of course not, but _someone_ has to check on him. He has no one."

"Go knock yourself out then."

Duncan hung up without saying good-bye. With a roll of her eyes at his pissiness, she rushed over to pick up her keys and almost made it to the door when the phone vibrated again. She turned it on with a snap and was about to read Duncan the riot act when she saw the icon for a new text message. It was just like him to play these little games when he got in this mood. Her eyes scanned the caller ID and widened at the sight of Logan's name. With her curiosity piqued, she opened the message:

_I read your letter, Ronnie._

_I also read your blog._

Her stomach started fluttering with anticipation.

_You're wrong, Veronica. It's not all gone._

The message ended there and she felt a stab of disappointment. But at least she knew he was OK. With her quick fingers, she typed back:

Where R U? 

The phone vibrated again and this time it was a regular call. She put the speaker to her ear and started to speak but stopped when she heard some faint notes. The sound grew slightly louder and her breathing quickened when she recognized the song.

_Love I get so lost, sometimes  
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart  
When I want to run away  
I drive off in my car  
But whichever way I go  
I come back to the place you are_

It was the Peter Gabriel song from _Say Anything_, and it was just like Logan to stage something like this. With a grin, she listened to the rest of the song and wasn't surprised when he cut off the message. The phone vibrated one last time with a text message:

_I'm right outside. Water's warm. Suits are optional. Want to come out and play?_

Veronica's heart was beating a staccato in her ribcage as she suited up in her black bikini and tiptoed out the door. She stared out at the pool and saw a distinctive shadow near the edge of the water. Everything was dark down there, but there was no mistaking that profile. With an excited hop that was strangely Logan, she took the stairs two at a time and rushed toward him.

Veronica's fair hair was silvered with moonbeams and stardust. Or at least that's how it seemed to Logan's lovesick mind. When she stepped fully into view, his throat closed at the sight of her milky white skin, only barely covered by two scraps of material. "Hey," he said from a safe distance, limbs and chest sheltered by the water.

Her sweet smile lifted more than his spirits. "Hi. So, let me guess this straight. If suits are optional, then that means…" She dropped her eyes for a second before letting her gaze return to his face.

"Come on in and find out," Logan teased, swirling the water in invitation and laughing when she hesitated. "What's the matter, Mars, you scared of little old me?"

Veronica rolled her eyes. "_Hardly_."

"Well, then, what are you waiting for?" He smiled and splashed her feet with some water.

She stepped back from the side of the pool. "I'll come in when I'm good and ready."

"Maybe you need some help." Logan watched her face as he rose out of the water and grinned when she covered her eyes.

"Not fair," Veronica replied from behind her hands.

"Man, some things never change," he joshed, settling back in the water and laughing at her timid approach to the steps.

"Damn straight." Veronica stepped boldly up to her knees and squeaked when he came at her like a shark. With one arm, he swept her off her feet and dunked her underwater. She came up sputtering and laughing and sent a wave of water in his face.

Logan grinned evilly and grabbed her around the waist. "C'mere," he whispered, pulling her close and smiling as her foot brushed against his Speedos.

"I was hoping for the other option," she murmured, giggling when he nestled her ear and scooped her into his arms.

"Were you now?" Logan pulled her across him and started paddling to the center of the pool. "Well, you might just get your wish."

Veronica punched his arm lightly and snickered when he tickled her sides. "I'm surprised that you're here."

"Thought you missed me." Logan knew this was so, but he longed to hear her say the words.

"I _do_. It's just…if my Dad catches you here…" She ran her hand across her throat.

He touched his forehead to hers. "That's half the fun."

"You're insufferable. You know that, right?" Veronica leaned into his hand and he cupped the side of her face, letting the smooth silk of her skin slide under his fingers.

"And you wouldn't have me any other way," he joked.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Oh, I don't know, I could think of a few other ways."

Logan felt a prickle of embarrassment start to climb up his face. "Really? Care to enlighten me?"

Her grin widened when the warmth from his face nearly scorched her cheeks. "Are you actually _blushing_? Is this even possible? I thought Lilly broke you of that habit."

His face heated up even more. "I guess not," he admitted, hiding his eyes behind his hand for a second as he tried to regain control of the conversation.

Veronica touched the tips of her fingers to his and forced him to look at her. "That is totally cute when you do that."

"Do what?" Logan was quite aware of the shyness that often overwhelmed him in her presence.

"Hiding your face." Logan felt her lips smile against his face and felt a sudden rush of emotion that went straight from his heart to his groin.

"V-Veronica, I…my hearing is Friday, and I had to see you before then."

She tightened her hold on him. "I was on my way to your house when you called. When I heard about the fire…"

Logan sighed. "It's cool. Don't worry. I've taken care of everything."

"You sure?" She framed his face with her tiny hands and brushed her lips against his. "Seems like we still have some unfinished business."

He closed his eyes when she licked each corner of his mouth. When her tongue found his ear, he gasped out, "Maybe we should move this to dry land."

"What did you have in mind?" Her breath stirred the fine hairs on his neck and sent shudders down his spine.

Logan's mind was spinning out of control. "Car. Sand. Bed. Whatever you want."

Veronica bit his neck lightly. "Hmm. That's easy. Let's take this upstairs."

Logan laughed into her hair. "What about your Dad?"

Veronica quipped, "No room. My bed only fits 2." She murmured a protest when he stepped away to gather up his towel and gym bag.

"That's _real_ cute, Ronnie." He smiled down at her fondly. "I really _have_ been a bad influence on you."

"Maybe." The pool lights were out, but there was enough moonlight to paint the lines of his body in a drool-inducing light. She let her gaze flit from the sculpted planes of his chest to his massive biceps and a 6-pack that put Conner Larkin to shame.

"Taking inventory?" he leered, staring back at her with equal intensity.

"Mmm-hmm," Veronica answered, winding her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.

Logan mussed her hair with his fingers. "Like what you see?"

"Yeah. It's a real shame to hide all this…" Her words faltered when her fingers found the first of the scars on his back. "Oh, God."

"Go a little to the left and you'll find the cigarette burns from my last birthday. And a little higher to the right is my scar from the time he threw a knife at me," Logan stated flatly.

"I'm so sorry." Veronica looked up at him and kissed both his cheeks.

"Hey, it's all water under the bridge, right? Can we talk about something else now? Like maybe that warm bed?" Logan winked.

"Straight up the stairs to the right." She laced her arm around his waist and sighed when he slung his arm across her shoulders. They walked up a few steps and then he turned suddenly and pinned her against the railing.

"I know where you live, Mars." he growled softly, nuzzling her nose with his. "Knew it from the moment I first met you."

A rush of giddiness filled her head and she swayed against him. "Like 'em young, Echolls?"

Logan started bending her over one arm and his face hovered only inches from hers. "Don't forget small, _hot_, and tight," he murmured huskily, letting his fingers trail down her collarbone to the vee between her breasts.

Veronica moaned in the back of her throat when his other hand started sliding the strap off her shoulder. "L-Logan, please…"

"Please what?" The strap parted company with her arm.

She shuddered as he started on the other strap. "D-don't…"

He pulled her up a few more steps before dipping her down again. "Tell me what you want, Ronnie."

Veronica's answer got stuck in her throat when her top fell to her waist. "God," she hissed when his mouth dipped to her right breast. His tongue flicked gently across her nipple before moving to her other breast and repeating the same motion. The night air tightened them even further as he held her slightly away from him and took his fill of her with dazed eyes.

"Day-um," Logan murmured when she rubbed against his chest, inflaming him further with the tips of her breasts.

She giggled insanely when they reached her door and he shoved her roughly against the wall, parting her legs with one of his and planting an arm on either side of her head. "Kiss me," she demanded with a playful yank on his earlobe.

Logan's chest vibrated with laughter as he buried his face in the wet coils of her hair. "Is that _all_ you want?"

Veronica rotated her hips against him and grinned when he gasped against her throat. "Well, now, that depends on what you're offering."

His tongue flicked against her pulse point and turned her insides to molten lava. "Want to play show and tell, Mars?"

She reached behind him and slid her hands down the back of his trunks. "How about we just show?" His ass felt as finely formed as the rest of him and she smiled when he ground against her.

"Here and now?" Logan bumped against her a few times and it seemed only natural to turn the doorknob and slam against the door on their way in. It banged against the wall and she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

"So about that kiss," she whispered suggestively, pinching his butt and grinning when he yelped softly.

"Mars, if I kiss you now, I'm not going to stop," he warned with a laugh.

"Then don't." Veronica yanked on his waistband and started stepping backward, moving him slowly across the living room and down the hall to her room.

"What are you doing?" he asked in deliberate imitation of that night in the pool house.

"Leveling the playing field," she echoed, shoving him through her door and locking it behind her.

"You playing short stop, Ronnie?" Logan chortled when she advanced on him with bunched fists and a determined glint in her eyes.

"Better than being a bench-warmer."

"Ooh, score one for the Martian," he joked, choking back his laugh when a wet and very determined Veronica hooked her leg under his and watched him fall to the rippling surface of her water bed.

"Come again, K-9?" Veronica retorted sarcastically.

Logan bounced a few times for good measure. "You have this thing for water, Mars. Must come straight from the womb."

She slid up next to him and kicked his foot. "How very Freudian of you. Becky James been feeding you that crap?"

He snickered. "She got to you too, huh? Now _there's_ a woman with a mission."

"Must be good for something if she helped change my Dad's mind."

"So _that's_ why I'm here," he slapped his forehead and pretended to take something out of his pocket. "See, I just knew that get out of jail free card was meant for someone else."

She crinkled her eyes slightly and then changed the subject by nudging him with her elbow. "So, about that playing field…"

Leave it to Ronnie to get him back on track. Logan framed the room with his fingers and announced, "All that's missing is a bong and your Daddy's Chaka Khan records."

"Hey, at least I talked him out of the rust-colored shag carpeting."

Logan snorted. "Was that the 12.99 blue light special at K-Mart? Damn, I must have missed that one."

Veronica smiled faintly. "You trying to distract me with all this banter?"

He rolled over to one side and leaned on his elbow. "What's your hurry, Mars?"

She rolled to face him and started stroking his arm. "Oh, now _I'm_ the one in a hurry? So I just imagined the part where you stripped me bare?"

"That was a preview of coming attractions," Logan answered drolly, watching her eyes darken when his free hand caressed her back and meandered down to unfasten her top.

"Sounds like a good movie. Any popcorn with that?" Veronica joked, her voice cracking when he jammed his thumbs in her bikini bottoms and slid them to her knees. She raised her legs to assist him and sighed when the last of her suit completely left her body.

"Naw, I'm a cheap date." Logan's mouth went dry when she rolled on her back and raised her arms over her head, stretching her petite frame and fully exposing herself to him. "And you're…_amazing_." From her pert, pink-tipped breasts to the way her waist curved in to an hourglass and all the way to her cute little butt, she was the perfect little package.

Logan caressed the side of her face and knew it was show time. With a slightly shy smile, he slanted his head and brushed his lips against hers. He pulled back and sighed at the way she gazed back at him, blue eyes swimming with lust and adoration. It had to be his imagination, so he blinked a few times before looking again, completely dumbfounded by her expression.

_This can't be happening. She can't possibly feel that way. I'm not the guy who gets the girl in the end._

Veronica lowered her head to his and started tracing his mouth with her tongue. He sighed when she caught his lower lip in her teeth and sucked on its juicy fullness. "Sweet," she murmured with a laugh that curled his toes. Logan groaned and grabbed her head, kissing her back with such force that she gasped, her mouth opening wide under the pressure of his lips. His tongue swirled around hers, tasting cinnamon and chocolate as he sucked, laughing when she bit back and drew blood with her ardor. One mind-blowing kiss melted into another and morphed into a series of extremely wet, open-mouthed kisses that left them both gasping and laughing.

Veronica could almost see Lilly in her mind's eye, whistling and clapping as her best friend peeled off her ex-boyfriend's trunks and tossed them across the room. Lilly would also have complimented her on her choice of venue, complete with an overanxious Dad with a trigger happy finger.

She looked down at his beauty and touched the patch of golden hair in the center of his chest. Her fingers traced a circle around each nipple and followed the line of hair to his groin. Leaning over him, she repeated the trail with her mouth, stopping to suck on each nipple and smiling at the way he moaned in the back of his throat. With a grin, she licked her way down his sternum and swirled her tongue in his belly button. "Scene Four, Act One, the young ingénue prepares her lover for the coming storm."

Logan's belly rumbled with laughter. "Ingénue, my ass."

"And a very fine one it is," Veronica agreed, squeezing his butt cheeks with her busy little hands before moving back to the main attraction. Before her fingers could close on her target, he grabbed her wrist.

"Not gonna happen, sweet cheeks."

"Why not?"

She tried wriggling out of his grip but he shook his head with an affectionate smile. "Unless you want this to end before it begins, I suggest you let me stage the rest of this play."

Veronica pretended to pout. "Why should I let you direct?"

Logan turned her in his arms until she straddled him. "Because I'm large and in charge."

She looked down at his throbbing erection with a half smile. "_That_ you are."

Veronica's breasts brushed his face as she undulated against him. On her second rotation, he stopped her in mid-circle and caught her breast with his lips as he rose to sitting position. With a lazy smile, he leaned back against the headboard and pulled her into his lap. Her head flopped back as he sucked her like his favorite Sabor Cubanos, tantalizing her with laps of his tongue and tiny bites around each nipple. She tossed and turn like a tempest as his mouth and hands played her, sharpening her cries to a crescendo as she came against his fingers, squeezing him like a vise as he wrung her dry.

"Guh," she gasped out. "I've never…"

"I know you haven't." Logan kissed her forehead and continued raining kisses down the sides of her face. He nuzzled the hollow of her neck and grazed his teeth across her collarbone. "Ready for Round Two?"

Veronica opened one eye and gave him a 'you've got to be kidding' look. "No rest for the wicked?"

"Well, there's that, yeah, but there's also this." He pushed against her clit with the heel of his hand and watched her eyes open wide at his expertly applied pressure. "You sure you're not up for it, sweet pea?"

The laugh spilled out of her and colored her already flaming cheeks. "No, but I bet you are."

Logan grinned. "Now that you mention it…_yeah_." He levered her over him and watched her smile fade slightly. "You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm just…well you know," she admitted with a rueful smile.

He kissed the corner of her mouth. "No apologies and no regrets, Ronnie. This is just _you_ and _me_."

Veronica turned her face and his second kiss caught her full on the lips, only softening slightly when her lips parted under his. Logan brushed her mouth with the tip of his tongue and nearly swooned when she shoved him back into the pillows, kissing him so passionately that she stole his breath away. His hands moved to her hips and his eyes asked if she was ready. She nodded and whispered, "Let's get it on."

Logan's gaze was soft and hazy as he entered her, moving so slowly that he seemed to stop time in its tracks. For a long moment, he stayed still and stared up at her with his beautiful brown eyes, willing her to trust him on this particular journey. With a smile, she propped herself up on her elbows and slid sideways, her grin widening at the hiss that escaped his lips. She rocked again and gasped when he jerked into action, nearly splitting her in half with his first thrust. "Wow," she whispered, tumbling sideways with his second movement. Logan's hands grabbed her hips and helped her settle into a groove. Back and forth she rode him, sighing as his thrusts picked up speed and intensity and moaning when his finger joined the fun. He slid her forward and her hands braced themselves on the wall over his head, laughing a little too loud when the bed started squeaking. "Your father's going to kill us," he murmured as his lips returned to her breasts, kissing and twirling each peak under his tongue.

"If this doesn't kill us first." Veronica squeaked when Logan gave one final thrust, shoving into her so forcefully that the headboard thumped against the wall. He growled against her throat and said her name under his breath, repeating it like a mantra as he pulsated deep inside her. His finger continued its work and in short order, she was clawing at his shoulders and moaning his name in a throaty soprano.

Logan did a countdown with his fingers and smiled when the knock sounded on 3. "Veronica, is everything OK in there?"

She shot off the bed like a rocket, grabbing up her robe and holding up a finger with her other hand. "I'm fine, Dad."

The doorknob turned. "Please open the door. I want to talk to you."

Veronica tossed a panicked glance in Logan's direction. "What do I do?" she mouthed.

Logan was an old hand at this sort of thing. He silently dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed and grimaced when she flipped the lock. Ronnie didn't need to know how many near misses he'd had with Lilly, or that he and Lilly had 'rental evasion down to a science.

The door opened and he saw Keith's slippered feet stop near the bed. "I heard a bang. Are you sure you're OK?"

Veronica sighed. "Yeah. I finally fell asleep and the same dream came back. I tried to claw my way out and ended up on the floor."

Logan watched Keith move over to Veronica and guessed he was hugging her. "Want me to make you some warm milk?"

"No, thanks. I think I'll read for awhile and maybe that will help me drift off."

"OK." Keith started to move away and turned back to face Veronica. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm going to Mexico tomorrow on a fact-finding mission. I'll be out at 6 and won't be back until early Friday."

Wow. This was a big deal for him to leave Veronica behind. "Will you get back in time for Logan's hearing?"

"Of course. And I've asked Alicia and Wallace to look in on you."

Veronica asked, "Is this about Mom?"

"Maybe." Keith changed the subject. "You sure you don't want that milk?"

"Positive. So, does that mean I have the day off tomorrow?"

"Sure. Take the rest of the week off. My answering service can fill in while I'm out."

"Thanks, Dad. You're the best," Veronica said.

Logan saw her go up on her toes and heard a loud smack. "Try to get some sleep. I'll check back on you before I leave."

"Sure. Good night."

"'Night, Veronica."

The door finally closed behind him and Logan heard the lock engage. He was about to come out when her face appeared, flushed with the aftermath of their lovemaking and her father's sudden appearance. "You coming out, K-9, or do you want to spend all night with the dust bunnies?"

Logan slid out and grabbed one of her ankles before she could escape. With an ungraceful lurch, he pulled her down on top of him and laughed up into her startled face. "Actually, I was hoping to spend it with my favorite Martian."

Veronica's face softened at his words. "But my Dad…"

"Three's a crowd, sweetie," he reminded her with a smile.

"You really want to stay?" she asked in amazement.

"Better than getting down with the fleas at the Camelot," Logan joked.

"The Prince of Neptune High is holed up with Johnny the Pimp and his entourage?" Veronica snarked back in disbelief.

"Thanks for rubbing it in, Mars. Now about that sleep…" He hugged her and helped her off with her robe before diving under the covers and holding her like a teddy bear that 'he loved beary much'.

The dream was an infinite loop, forever showing a playback of the night she almost died. There were endless replays of her running, falling, and seeing a giant fist coming straight at her. It was populated by her cries and the shredded remains of her nails as she tried to claw her way out. But one thing was always different. In her version of the dream, she and her Dad always died, running out of time and air, left to float over the scene as Aaron stumbled away and escaped. Before the dream lost its grip on her, she always saw Lilly waving from the side of the road. And when she woke up, she was always gasping for air and crying in terror. It happened like it always did, but the ending had a twist. Logan was standing there with outstretched arms, urging her to run to him and leave all the evil behind. But on the way, she tripped and never made it to the other side. When she looked up, he was dissolving into a fine mist.

"No! Please don't leave me here. Stay. Don't go. I need you too much." Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring straight into his soft brown eyes. "_Oh_. Sorry."

Logan draped his arm across her waist and started stroking her hair. "I'm the one who's sorry for everything my…everything _he_ put you through."

She touched his face with the palm of her hand. "It's not your fault, Logan."

He shrugged. "I should have seen it coming. How could I be so blind?"

Veronica dropped her hand to his shoulder and squeezed. "You _trusted_ him, Logan. I mean, he's your Dad, and it's what you're supposed to do."

"When have I ever done what I'm _supposed_ to do, Ronnie? Why did I have to toe the line in this one case? How could I excuse the way he cheated on my Mom and the way he abused me?" Logan whispered hotly.

His sadness tugged at her heart. "Because you loved him."

He snorted. "_Right_. And _love_ makes it all right."

Veronica's fingers dug into his arm. "He's an actor. Why would this be any different from any of his other performances?"

Logan shook his head. "The signs were all there, and I missed them. There was that time I almost got tossed out for fighting, and he practically threatened to kill me. And then he said some creepy shit about how he's committed to me and how I'll see that. What the hell does that even mean?"

She ruffled his hair. "I don't know, but it's over."

He smiled tightly. "Wish I could believe that, Ronnie. And I wish I could let it go, but I can't."

"I know." 6 weeks had passed since the fire, and she was still running in place, dodging imaginary phantoms in her sleep and evading monsters in real life.

The hate fled from his eyes and softened into compassion. "Those dreams sound pretty nasty."

Veronica nodded. "Yeah."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"Hold me." Veronica's eyes closed as he pulled her down on top of him and wrapped his entire body around her like a security blanket.

Logan rained soft kisses on her face and neck and found his way to her ear. "Umm, forget all that shit in your dream. You're stuck with me, Mars. I'm not going anywhere."

Logan drifted out of sleep into semi-consciousness and was vaguely aware that someone was brewing coffee and playing music in the background. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Veronica's room. So the dream was real. He was really here and his deepest fantasy had come true. The bedclothes smelled like sunshine and roses and the tiniest hint of mystery that defined Veronica Mars.

He swathed a sheet around his middle and stumbled out to the kitchen, where Backup nearly knocked him to the floor with his tongue. "Hey, boy, where's the man killer?" After a few minutes of head scratching, the dog settled on his bed and stared happily at his newest friend. Logan shuffled over to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup of joe. After one sip, he grimaced at its strength and settled down at the table. It was only then that he saw the note propped against the napkin holder.

_Went out for a run. Back in thirty minutes. Help yourself to bagels and cream cheese._

_Love,_

_  
V_

He snickered at the sound of oldies on the radio. _Fucking 92.5, with its lethal cocktail of America and Lobo. If ever there was a reason to slit your wrists, that would be it. _ Every time he rode in the car with Aaron had been like sitting through A Clockwork Orange. With an eye roll, he changed the station over to San Diego State, where his favorite obnoxious DJ did morning drive time, complete with Nine Inch Nails and bouts of death metal and skate punk. Logan was so sure that Veronica would hate it that he turned it up loud and chuckled at Backup's mournful eyes. The poor dog looked like he wanted to tuck his tail between his legs and fall into a crack. "I hear you, buddy," he muttered, figuring he might as well jump in the shower and use up all of Ronnie's hot water. Then if she still wasn't back, he'd have fun snooping around her room and discovering all her secrets.

_Running is so easy for you, Ronnie. _

**I've had a lot of practice. **

Veronica grinned as she ate up the miles with her trusty Nikes, her long legs covering the pavement on her favorite route. She had the limbs of a 6-footer and the short-waisted curves of a peasant, but they served her well and she had no complaints. Her quick mind came from her Dad, and that was the biggest compliment of all.

With an even bigger smile, Veronica relived the events of the past few hours and nearly tripped as she rounded the corner of her building and collided with Duncan. "Ow," she cried, rubbing at her forehead and teetering on one heel as she regained her balance.

"Are you OK?" he asked contritely.

She nodded and glanced at his car. "What are you doing here?"

Hurt filled his blue eyes at her slightly sharp tone. "I thought I'd surprise you and take you out for breakfast."

"Oh, you surprised me all right." _Shit_. How was she supposed to handle this without hurting Duncan? He'd be pissed if she sent him away and he'd really have a fit if he saw her with Logan. "And that's really sweet of you to offer, but I have other plans."

"Doing some stuff for your Dad?" Duncan asked.

The lie came easily to her lips. "Yeah, he's out of town and I have to cover for him while he's gone."

"Maybe we can get some take out and I can drive you to work," Duncan suggested.

Veronica knew she had to deal with this, but now was not the time. "Can I take a rain check?"

His shoulders slumped with disappointment. "Yeah, sure. Maybe next week."

She touched his arm. "You're still coming by tomorrow night, right?"

Duncan shook off her hand. "I'll try."

"OK." Veronica watched him get in the car and drive off without another word. With a sigh, she climbed to the second floor and went inside.

Logan turned up the heat and water pressure until the water hit him full force, punishing his skin into a mottled puce that clashed violently with Veronica's apple green bath gel. He scrubbed at imaginary specks of dirt and turned his face to the deluge, willing away his problems and feeling them swirling down his body where they pooled at his feet. With a silent kick, he pretended to punt them into orbit and turned to see her peeking through the curtain.

"Hey," she said softly. "Mind if I join you?"

He smiled shyly at her request. "Sure. But I have to warn you, I like it hot."

Veronica stepped in and grabbed her loofah sponge. "So I've noticed," she observed, stepping down the temperature to a tolerable level and smiling at his double entendre.

Logan grinned back. "So, did you outrun all those demons of yours?"

Her smile lost a few watts. "Not quite. You'll never guess who was waiting for me."

"Your Dad?"

"Cute."

He held out the brush and started scrubbing her back without asking. "How about Weevil?"

"A little to the left. Yeah, that's the spot. You know, 'you really suck at this Nancy Drew stuff. Maybe you should get a new hobby'," she suggested, laughing up at his dumbfounded expression.

Logan tugged at her hair. "_Brat_. OK, I give up. Who was behind Door #3?"

"Duncan."

He raised his eyebrows. "At this hour? He usually doesn't roll out of bed until after 11."

"He wanted to surprise me by taking me out to breakfast."

"And _I_ wasn't invited? I am mortally wounded," Logan joked.

"I told him I had to work."

Logan chuckled. "Bet that sent him on his merry way."

"He wasn't happy with me."

"Well, gee, I wonder why. Here's the love of his life, and she's turning her back on him. Even worse, she's putting work before his needs." He completely understood why Duncan was annoyed with Ronnie.

Veronica turned to face him. "Is this really about Duncan?"

"Of course," he replied irritably, thinking that she was ruining a perfectly good opportunity by bringing her ex into the mix.

She touched his face. "Then why are you giving me shit? We discussed this already. I thought you were cool with it.

He shut off the water and pulled back the curtain. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Veronica stepped over the tub and pulled a towel off the rack. "I thought you read my letter."

Logan dried himself in silence for a long beat. "What's your point?"

"Didn't it make sense?"

His laughter had a cruel edge. "Oh, sure. When they hand out the letter-writing awards, your name will be first on the list." Logan wanted to take back the words as soon as they left his mouth, but it was too late.

Her blue eyes were darkening to an angry indigo. "So what was last night about, Logan? Did it mean _anything_ to you, or was I just your consolation fuck before you leave town?"

Logan wanted to pound his fists into the wall. His mouth was always getting him in trouble and now it was screwing things up with Veronica. "It meant _everything_ to me, Veronica."

Her expression wavered. "Sweet words, Logan, but why should I believe them?"

The words hovered on his tongue, but they remained glued in his mouth as he stared at her in desperation. "I can't…" With a shake of his head, he finished dressing and said, "I have to get out of here. I'm sorry."

Her voice stopped him on the way to the front door. "So that's it then?"

Logan threw one last look over his shoulder and left without answering.

_She wants a rain check. Will I ever collect on that, or is her offer all wet?_ Duncan's mouth twisted sardonically as he sat and watched her building from across the street. Call it a hunch, but he knew she was lying to him. Maybe she wasn't the same girl as the one he'd dated, but one thing hadn't changed: she still sucked at lying. A life based on lies and deceit wasn't a good fit for the Veronica he knew. She thrived on getting at the truth, yet she expected her friends to buy her bags of lies and tricks. What was Veronica selling today? Was she handing out suckers to idiots like him? With a snort, he sipped at his coffee and ignored the growling in his stomach.

Duncan turned on the radio and half listened to the news and weather while he thought about dialing up Logan and getting wasted. He started to get out his phone but paused when he saw his best friend come jogging down the stairs of Veronica's apartment. Logan bypassed the parking lot and headed toward the street. A gym bag banged against his shoulder as he walked, seemingly oblivious to anything but his own misery.

Duncan started up the car and caught up to Logan. "Hey, you need a lift?"

Logan's head whipped around in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he called from the sidewalk.

"Not much. Have you eaten?"

"Nope. You paying?" Logan asked hopefully.

"Sure. Hop in. We'll go up to Sepulveda to that new restaurant."

Logan weaved his way across the street and got in at the corner. "Thanks, man."

Duncan smiled absently and kept his eyes on the road. "So, you slumming today?"

"I could ask you the same question," Logan shot back, tapping his fingers while he looked out the window.

Leave it to Logan to lob the ball back at him. "I know where you were."

Logan looked disgusted. "How much are they paying you, DK?"

"_What_?"

"You plan on giving them the exclusive in one shot, or will it be a series of exposes? Why don't you just give me the name of your source and I'll spill the story myself? It's not like you need the money or anything," he said snidely.

"It's not _about_ you," Duncan contested hotly, knowing Logan was just spouting his usual line of bullshit.

Logan snorted. "That's where you're wrong."

Duncan pulled into the parking lot and jammed the shift lever to Park. "Really? Then prove it. Sit and have breakfast and tell me all about it. Tell me what you were doing at Veronica's. Tell me what's really going on with you two. Because you know what? I'm sick of the lies."

Logan retorted, "Dude, trust me on this. You are _so_ not ready to hear the truth."

Veronica sat at her vanity table and stared at the vials of pills. _Zoloft, Diazepam, Ambien. _

With a sigh, she gathered them up and walked to the bathroom. A few twists of her wrist and the pills flew into the toilet. She flushed and watched as a sea of white tablets spiraled away, forever lost to the sewer gods. Veronica saluted like she was sending a comrade out to sea and skipped back to the kitchen, where she grabbed up her half-eaten bagel and warmed over coffee. Backup followed her into her room with his leash in tow and sat there with it drooping from his mouth.

"Give me 5 minutes, buddy." She opened up her laptop and erased the journal entry from last night. Should she write what she really felt? Because, inevitably, he would log on and see what she was thinking. With a resigned sigh, she started typing and after a bit, she posted the entry.

_I know why you're afraid, Logan. I know why you're running away. I saw something in your face last night that you were trying to hide. I know it's hard to trust me after what I did, and maybe you're afraid to admit how you really feel. But I'm not. I want to believe what you said to me. I want to believe that you're here for me. I want to believe in love again. Can you help me find the way?_

She logged off her account and clipped Backup's leash to his collar. "C'mon, big guy. Let's get some fresh air. And if you're really good, we'll stop by the butcher shop to get you a bone."

Logan tucked into his breakfast and barely noticed the silence on Duncan's end. "Hey, man, this was a rocking idea. Good food, _great_ company, what more could a person want?"

"I'd like me a little bit of that truth." Duncan's blue eyes stared over the rim of his cup.

"Sorry, not on the menu."

Duncan's mug clattered on the table. "Tell me why you were there."

"Geez, dude, _chill_ out, will ya?" Some things had to stay private, and this was one of them.

"Did she choose you, Logan? Is that why you were over there?"

Logan hated being caught in the middle. "Nope. Hate to disappoint you, dude, but it was this incredibly boring discussion about trust and betrayal. _Hey_, maybe I should have _videotaped_ it. It would fetch a fortune on eBay, and God knows I need the money."

"Sure you do," Duncan said in disbelief.

Logan opened his wallet and threw down his credit cards. "Overdrawn. Closed. Shut down. Frozen. Want me to go on?"

His friend looked ashamed. "I get the picture."

"Hmm, I don't think you do, DK. You know where I'm staying tonight? Chez Camelot, with its assortment of hookers and low-lifes. But you know what? I fit right in with those guys. And the _only_ reason I'm not on the street is because Barry fronted me some cash."

Duncan's mouth opened and closed as he mentally chewed on that information. "Maybe I could help."

Logan shook his head. "_Forget_ it. I don't want your money, and I sure as hell don't want your pity."

"So what can I do?" Duncan was the epitome of good breeding, and that demanded that he do something to help.

"Forget about Ronnie. Forget that she came between us. Because, dude, when it all comes down to the wire, chicks don't matter. They fuck up your head and leave you hanging when something better comes along."

Duncan's eyes widened at his tone. "You're right."

"Damn straight. Say, how about we hang ten at Cape Crescent and spend the rest of the day getting toasted? Sound like a plan?"

DK nodded and picked up the bill. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Veronica was on her way to the car when Wallace flagged her down. "Hey, BFF, how's it hanging?"

"Swell. What's cooking?" she asked with a grin.

"I was hoping you would tell me," he laughed from his car window.

"Sorry. We're fresh out of snickerdoodles, but I do have some stale coffee and day old bagels. You game?"

He shook his head. "Naw, I'm due at the Sack and Pack. Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

"I'm cool. Backup and I are going to Dog Beach. Maybe you can fly by later with your plane."

Wallace rolled his eyes. "Wish I could, but I have to work all day. Maybe this weekend."

"Sounds good. Have fun today."

"Gee, _thanks_. You too."

Veronica waved as he drove off and scratched Backup's head before letting him loose in the back seat. With a half smile, she opened the trunk and grabbed her camera equipment. Sand, sun, and hot surfer boys. What better way to spend the day and help her forget her problems?

Logan jumped out. "You might as well come in. I have to check my e-mail and get my gear."

Duncan nodded. "I still can't believe you're staying here."

His answering laugh jangled oddly. "And here I thought my life couldn't get any worse." He jiggled the key to room 210 and pointed to a seat. "Knock yourself out, DK."

Logan flipped up his laptop and smirked. "Can you believe they have free wi-fi here?"

"Sign of the times," Duncan observed. "Even pimps need to jack in once in awhile."

"When they're not jacking off." Logan snickered as he tapped a few keys and pulled up Ronnie's journal. When the latest entry opened, he felt the blood leaving his face at her words. With a hard swallow, Logan looked up at Duncan and said, "Change of plans, dude. Why don't we skip Cape Crescent and do the local scene?"

"Isn't that Weevil's beat?"

Logan shrugged. "We can go where we want."

"Thought Weevil said he'd kick your ass if he caught you on Dog Beach."

"Who gives a shit? He doesn't scare me." There was something about your life hanging in the balance that made for strange bedfellows, and Weevil showing up when he did on the Coronado Bridge was no coincidence.

"If you say so."

He closed his laptop and grabbed his board from its spot behind the closet door. "Let's go."

Duncan hesitated. "What about today's drink of choice?"

Logan made a face. "I polished off Aaron's Macallan and I'm saving my brandy for a special occasion. And dude? This ain't it."

"Thought you wanted to get hammered."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. If Officer Fuckface is hanging around and he catches me drinking, then they'll send me down the river without a paddle."

Duncan smiled. "OK, well, we better get going if we want to make high tide."

They pulled into the parking lot and Duncan's eyes locked onto a black Porsche convertible with instant lust. "Logan, get a load of that car."

"It's a 911 Carrera. They're as common as mud at Torrey Pines," Logan stated calmly.

"Yeah, but you don't see many of them on this end of town."

"So what? The owner's an idiot for leaving it unattended. Weevil's gang will steal the hubcaps and strip the hood ornaments."

"Maybe we should find the guy and warn him," Duncan said as he got out of the car.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Just for once, could you stop being a fucking Boy Scout?" Logan slammed his door and grabbed his board from the back of the SUV.

Duncan looked over at the car with regret. "Can't help the way I am, Logan. If I see the guy, I'm going to warn him."

"_Whatever_." Logan pointed at the roiling surf. "High tide beckons. Shall we?"

Veronica spotted someone taking pictures on the rocks. As she moved closer, the figure coalesced into a woman hunched over a tripod with a massive telephoto lens. She followed the camera's line of sight and saw a small grouping of seabirds at the edge of the surf. "Hey," she said by way of greeting as she unfolded her own tripod and aimed it toward the surfers in the opposite direction.

The woman straightened and Veronica felt like she'd been gut punched at the resemblance to Lynn Echolls. After blinking a few times, her focus returned and she saw that it was an illusion. This woman was _tall _and had the lean build of an athlete. The planes of her face were sharply chiseled and delineated by a jagged scar that ran from her ear to her throat. Her full lips were curved into a friendly smile that was slightly offset by the coolness in her green eyes. "It's a good day for pictures. I was driving by and I saw this beach and decided to take a break from the road."

"I'm Veronica, and this is Backup." She wasn't sure why she was talking to this woman, but something compelled her to talk shop with someone other than her father.

"Cute dog." The woman made no move to pet him and Veronica wondered if she was a cat person. "I would pat him, but my allergies are kicking up."

"Backup understands."

Backup sat down politely and offered his best doggie smile. The woman grinned back and shook out her mane of multi-striped hair from her baseball cap. "And I am forgetting my manners. I am Monique."

A warning bell clanged in Veronica's head as she listened to Monique talk about the birds and her aperture settings. There was a hint of something exotic and a strong hint of something familiar embedded in the other woman's lilting tones. "Have you spent time in Australia?"

Monique laughed at the abrupt change of subject. "I must be boring you with all my shop talk."

"Not at all. It's fascinating stuff. It's just…you seem familiar to me."

This elicited another laugh. "Yes, well, I suppose I am familiar to certain people."

That didn't answer Veronica's question. "So Australia is a no."

"You are close. It was actually New Zealand for a few years, then back to the South of France, which is where I have lived for most of my life."

Veronica stared at the multi-colored braids and smiled. "My friend Mac would love your hair."

Monique smiled. "It changes with the seasons. Today it is blue and magenta, and tomorrow I may try to match my eyes."

Veronica grinned. "So, are you new to the area?"

"Just passing through. Someone in my family is in trouble and I've come to lend a hand."

"Anyone I know?" Veronica asked as she finished setting up her camera.

Monique chuckled. "Perhaps. His family is all the rage these days."

She raised an eyebrow. "That could be pretty much anyone. We have a lot of famous people in this area."

"Not this famous," Monique offered unhelpfully. "So, let's see what your camera can do. If I may suggest that rather luscious group of boys that just entered the water, we might have a starting point."

Logan and Duncan were soon joined by Luke and his younger brother as they caught the first of the big waves. Their bodies were slammed by surf and spray as they slewed their way back to shore. Again and again they punished themselves, torquing and turning their boards to follow the action. It was only on the tenth or eleventh tour that Logan noticed the people on the rocks. "Fucking reporters," he said through his teeth, determined that this group wouldn't get away with their cameras intact.

"What's the matter?" Duncan saw the thunderous look on Logan's face and followed his gaze to the rocks. "Oh no. How did they find us?"

"Who cares? When I get through with them, they'll wish they never set foot on this beach."

"We can always leave," Luke suggested as he came floating to shore.

"That would be the easy way out," Logan snarled. "Someone needs to teach these reporters a lesson. They think they can fucking invade our privacy and get away with it." He tossed down his board and started storming toward the rocks with his fingers bunched into fists.

Duncan trotted at his side. "They have the law on their side, you know."

Logan slowed down and glared at Duncan. "I suppose you'll tell me it's a public place and since they're not trespassing, there's nothing we can do."

"Something like that," Duncan replied. "And this may not be what it seems. I mean, how do you even know they're reporters?"

"Who else could it be?" he retorted acidly, drawing to within shouting distance of the two people on the rocks and barely glancing at their faces.

Duncan stopped and stared. "Umm, Logan? It's not who you think. Take a closer look."

Logan raised his head and gulped when he stared straight at Veronica Mars, who was glancing nervously between him and Duncan. In his haste, he barely glanced at the second person, but did a double take when she brushed back her hair in a familiar gesture. "Holy crap," he muttered. "It can't be."

Duncan was fascinated by the tension between Logan and Veronica. He gazed back and forth between them as they approached and knew he was missing something. With a shake of his head, he stared at the other woman and managed not to hang his tongue out to dry. "Damn," he said softly.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? She's old enough to be your mother."

"So what? She's seriously hot."

Logan smiled uneasily. "And you're a sick little boy. Think she's going to give you the time of day?"

"You never know." Duncan smiled politely at the older woman and was delighted by the sexy smile she threw back at him.

Logan muttered, "Let me handle this, OK?"

"OK." Duncan stood slightly to one side and continued watching the interplay between his two friends. Veronica was beaming her best phony smile and Logan was showing his teeth (never a good sign).

"So, Ronnie, want to tell me what you're doing here?"

Veronica smiled. "Taking pictures. What's it to you?"

Duncan felt the need to do something with his hands, so he called Backup over and started scratching his head. With a sigh, he heard the annoyed hiss of Logan's breath and knew he was gearing for battle.

"Oh, I don't know. Could it be that your camera is pointed in _my_ direction?" he asked tautly.

Duncan was startled when the older woman moved forward. "Full of yourself, aren't you?"

Logan's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me? Was I talking to you, bitch?"

"And such wonderful manners." The woman's jagged laugh seemed to startle Logan. "Your mama would be so proud."

Logan sputtered, "W-Who the hell are you?"

She gathered up her tripod and swung it under her arm. "You already know the answer to that. It was nice meeting you, Veronica, and even nicer to meet your cute little friends." With a mocking bow and a weird little hop, she turned on her heel and headed toward the parking lot.

"Wow, that was weird." Veronica capped her camera and put it back in her bag. As she started folding up the tripod, Duncan stepped forward and helped her collapse the legs.

"Tell me about it," Duncan said. "Thought you had to work today."

"My Dad gave me the rest of the day off."

"So, you just happened to come _here_," Logan said knowingly, jumping into the fray by grabbing her tripod and slipping it into her tripod holder.

"Yeah, so what? I come here every day. What's your excuse?" she asked with a challenge in her eyes.

Logan flashed her an infuriating grin. "I wanted to see _you_," he simpered.

"Oh, you dahling boy. I am so sincerely touched," Veronica answered in her best Southern accent.

"Will you two knock it off?" Duncan looked distinctly uncomfortable at their exchange.

"Hey, he started it," Veronica pointed out as she started to slide her arms into her backpack.

She stumbled slightly when Logan grabbed the straps and yanked it out of her hands. "Here, Scarlett, let me get that for you."

She rolled her eyes. "If you insist," she intoned.

"Oh, I _do_." Logan batted his eyelashes at her and jumped sideways when she swatted at him. He held out the backpack and laughed when she tried to retrieve it. "Come and get it. You know you wanna."

Duncan stepped in the middle and scooped the backpack out of Logan's hands. "Cut it out, Logan."

"Man, it's always Drag City with you, DK."

They got to the edge of the parking lot and saw Veronica's new friend talking to Weevil. "Well now, what's this about?" Veronica said, noticing that Weevil was laughing at something Monique was saying.

"Hmm, could it be her latest conquest?" Logan noted cattily. "I mean, she already has DK by the short and curlies. Why not add Boll weevil to the mix?"

"Shut up, Logan," Duncan said easily.

They arrived at Veronica's car and silence fell around them as Monique walked over to the Porsche and stowed away her gear. "Wow, Miss Moneybags likes to ride in style," Veronica said with a whistle.

"What did you say?" Logan said in a strangled voice.

"I said, Miss Money…"

He interrupted, "That's what I thought you said." Logan's pale skin started to take on a distinctly green tinge.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Duncan asked.

"Well, it's just—"

His words were cut off by the roar of an engine and the squeal of brakes as the Porsche stopped in front of them. The woman pointed at Duncan and said, "Want the ride of your life?"

Veronica looked at Duncan's helpless expression and managed not to laugh at his confusion. Logan sniggered and crossed his arms to watch this play out. With a sigh, Duncan said, "Umm, I kind of…I mean, I have to drive my friend home."

"He's a big boy. Can't he drive himself?" she said with a laugh.

"I…guess so. Sure." Duncan handed the keys to Logan and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes. It better be in one piece, or I'll send Jake after you."

Logan laughed. "Go for it, dude."

"It's _just_ a car ride."

"Sure it is," Logan said with a knowing smirk.

He joined Veronica and they both watched Duncan walk over to the Porsche and lower his long frame into the tiny passenger seat. With a war whoop, the woman waved and burned rubber on her way out of the parking lot.

"So what was that really about?" Veronica asked.

Logan laughed maniacally. "I'm not sure, but I think that was my Aunt. And judging from the looks she was giving him, I'd say that DK is about to get lucky."

Weevil saluted them from the back of his bike. "What the hell are you doing on my beach?" he demanded with a half smile.

Logan decided he was joking. "Slumming. What's your excuse?"

Weevil laughed. "I was playing guard dog for that lady's Porsche. Talk about easy money."

"She trusted you? Boy, she must really have shit for brains," he snarked.

"Then it must run in the family," Weevil commented with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, V. You still hanging around with this stiff? Why don't you come down to the junkyard and I'll show you some real action?"

Veronica smiled. "Hi, Weevil. How's your grandmother doing?"

Weevil's face fell. "Not so great. It's tough finding work at her age." He threw a pointed stare at Logan and shook his head in disgust.

"Hey, it's _not_ my fault," Logan said defensively.

"No, it never is with you rich boys. Always blaming someone else for your problems."

Logan started counting to ten and decided that taking the bait was a bad idea. "Maybe you're right," he said evenly.

Weevil's expression did an about face. "Well, this has been fun. Let's do it again sometime." He leveled a dirty look at Logan and smiled at Veronica. With a cloud of blue exhaust, he revved his engine and followed in the wake of Monique's Porsche.

Logan hated the silence that fell between them without the buffer of their friends. "This has been a strange day," he commented.

"It sure has," she agreed.

"You doing anything right now?" Logan had one last chance to make it right, and he wasn't about to blow it.

"Other than trading insults with you? Not a thing." Veronica flashed him a sugary sweet smile and patted her dog.

His laughter was bittersweet. "Hey, what can I say? I never claimed to be full of hidden depths, though I'm sure your file says I have all these secrets."

"Not anymore," Veronica admitted.

"Huh?"

"I erased all the files."

Logan thought about that for a second. "End of an era, huh?"

She nodded sadly. "Yeah. Guess it's time I moved on."

He was flummoxed by her words. Did she mean moving on from him or moving on from Duncan? "You know, when I came over last night, I was going to ask you to spend the day with me today."

Veronica looked relieved. "So what's stopping you?"

"Besides all the subtext and my big mouth?"

"Yeah, besides that."

"Not a thing. So, you want to hang out or something?" Logan asked with far more lightness than he was feeling in his heart.

"Sure, but the doggie rides shotgun." Veronica hugged Backup and was rewarded with a lick.

"Deal. Why don't we drop the rust-bucket at the Camelot and drive this Benz into the ground?" Logan suggested with a wink.

Veronica shook her head. "What about Duncan?"

"It's like the lady said. He's a _big_ boy, and I'm sure he can handle Monique."

"She might crush him."

Logan grinned. "I'm counting on it."

Duncan's heart was in his throat. "Think you might want to slow it down on this stretch. The CHP has been cracking down on people."

She throttled down the car and smiled. "Whatever you want, sweet thing."

He smiled sickly and clutched his stomach. "It's Duncan."

"Kane. Yes, I know that already."

The car settled down to a purring 75 mph and he started to relax. "I didn't catch your name."

"Monique." She downshifted and they turned off the highway onto a quiet road.

"So, do you make a habit of this?"

Monique laughed and lit a cigarette. "Not really." She dripped ash on the leather seat and laughed at his horrified expression. "Don't worry, Duncan. The car's owner is out of the country and he doesn't even know that I'm riding around in his baby."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he cried, his fingers brushing at the ashes and grabbing her cigarette out of her hand.

She laughed even harder when he stamped out the cigarette in the ashtray. "Would it make you feel better if the car was mine?"

"Not really."

"Well, at least you're honest." She turned into a driveway and pressed a button on the visor. The gate opened and she drove through. "My ex owns this place and he's always on travel. So whenever I'm in the area, he lets me stay at his house."

"Why are we here?" he asked nervously as the car glided to a stop.

Her cool fingertips grazed his cheek. "Why do you think we're here?"

Duncan swallowed when her fingers caressed his ear lobe. "I think you want to…fuck me."

"Very good," she answered, her cheeks flowering into adorable dimples. "Is that completely out of the question or are you willing to entertain the idea?"

He stared at her hard and let his gaze drop from her beautiful face to the rest of her marvelous body. "I'm open to any and all possibilities."

"Excellent. Follow me." She hopped over the door and held out her hand. For a moment, he looked down at her elegantly tapered fingers and hesitated. "Well?"

Duncan stepped forward and felt like he'd just crossed some invisible line. Her hand caught his and pulled him along in her wake. "You're beautiful," he said as they went through the garage.

Monique laughed. "It's nothing."

"But you're old enough to be my…"

Her mouth cut off his words as she shoved him through the door and into the living room. Her lips slanted across his and tasted him, inch by delicious inch. About the time she bit his lower lip was the moment when he stopped being passive and shoved her back, kissing her with such punishing force that she gasped. "Mother?"

Duncan released his grip on her shoulders and caught his breath. "Yeah, something like that."

Monique dug in her purse and pulled out her driver's license. "Here. Take a look."

The birth date on her license was December 1975. "That must be fake."

She threw back her head and laughed. "I know I spend a lot of time in the sun, but no one's ever pegged me for over 40."

He looked closer and saw that her skin was flawless and unlined. The only crinkles were the laugh lines around her eyes. "There is the part about me being underage."

She started unbuttoning her blouse and watched his face as it fell open. He tried to look away as she shrugged it off, but his eyes returned to the translucent black lace of her bra. With another smile, she unzipped her jeans and let them slide to her feet. "Is that really a problem, Duncan?" Her eyes dropped to his groin and smiled knowingly at the hardened mound of his erection.

"No," he said hoarsely, digging his hands into his side so he didn't grab her and fuck her on the spot.

"Good." She held out her hands and spun him around the room a few times, laughing at his freaked out expression and spinning him so fast that they tripped over an end table and fell to the floor with a thud.

He stared down at her with a mixture of awe and terror. "You're crazy."

"Yeah, it's a curse, but what can you do?" Monique kissed him on the cheek and hugged him so hard that his ribs creaked in protest.

Veronica was worried about Duncan. "What do we really know about this woman?"

"Nada. But who cares? If anyone needs to get laid, it's DK."

"Maybe we should Google her," she suggested as she locked her car and got into Duncan's SUV.

"Or look her up on that super sleuth database?" Logan laughed.

"_Exactly_."

"You got some kind of uplink to a spy satellite or should I stop at Starbucks?"

Veronica smiled. "Milstar is currently overbooked, so a coffee run sounds fine." They arrived at the coffee shop and she left her window open for Backup. She grabbed her laptop case and was headed for the door at her usual fast pace when his voice slowed her down.

"Wait up, short stuff."

"You call me that again and I'll rearrange your face," she warned as they got in line.

He clutched his heart dramatically. "Oh, baby, is that a promise?"

Veronica elbowed him. "Cut the crap. We have work to do."

Logan laughed. "Yeah, I know. Business as usual."

She put one hand on her hip. "Admit it. You kind of like playing Joe Hardy."

He pouted. "Are you kidding? It's Frank all the way."

"Have you actually read those stories?" Veronica asked.

"Umm, I might be _vaguely_ familiar with the premise." Logan looked up at the ceiling and pretended to whistle.

"Hmm. If that's the case, then you'd know that you and Joe are kindred spirits."

Logan snorted. "OK, so maybe I'm impulsive, but…"

Veronica interjected, "_Maybe_ you're impulsive?"

"And _maybe_ I think before I act…" His voice trailed off with an expectant air.

Her giggle bubbled out as she ordered a frappacino. "_That's_ the understatement of the year."

"But you gotta admit, the snarky comments are pretty sexy," Logan murmured with an easy grin.

She rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

"You _know_ I'm right, sugarpuss." Logan made a smacking sound and found them a table by the window.

Veronica booted up her PC and sipped her beverage while she waited. Logan scooted his stool over and sat way too close for comfort. As his knee brushed her thigh, she asked, "Hey, wasn't your Dad up for the part of Frank Hardy?"

Logan looked slightly queasy at the mention of his father. "Yeah. How'd you know that? That's like ancient history."

She touched his arm by way of apology. "Trivial Pursuit."

He nodded and stared at her screen. "Can we get this show on the road?"

"Sure. It'll just be a second. The database is kind of slow today." The screen scrolled slowly but finally erupted with a bunch of hits. "Wow, I think we hit the jackpot."

Logan's fingers touched hers as he leaned over. "What's it say?"

"Plenty. Where do you want to start? Marriages, divorces, financial records, traffic violations, arrest records, parole violations? You name it and she's done it."

He laughed in nervous fascination. "And I thought my parents were fucked up."

"But it seems like she's cleaned up her act. Nothing on the books for the last 5 years or so."

"Wow. That is _so_ comforting."

"In a nutshell, she's twice married and divorced. The first guy was some New Zealand film-maker and the second guy was from Jakarta." She clicked on a photo and smiled. "Damn, he's a hottie. No wonder she bit the bullet and lived in the jungle for a year."

"Why'd she dump them?"

"The first guy was a bigamist and the second guy tried to kill her."

He smirked. "A _homicidal_ hottie. Sounds like she's no smarter than my mother when it comes to men."

"Hottie almost succeeded in stabbing her to death, but she shot him in the face before he took the final cut."

"_Good_ for her. Too bad my mother didn't have the balls to stand up to Aaron."

Veronica decided not to comment. "Want to hear the rest?"

"Hit me."

"She's been a busy lady. Arrested twice for drunk driving, once for assault, and once for drug possession. And that was all in her 21st year."

"Wow, something to _aspire_ to," he said with feigned admiration. "I suppose she's also broke."

Veronica shook her head. "That's the _least_ of her worries. Monique is a trust fund baby with a good head for finance. She's worth millions and has property in San Francisco, Boston, and Martha's Vineyard. She also owns a villa on the Cote D'Azur which is maintained by her mother, Simone D'Argent."

Logan nodded like that made sense. "That's Grandpa Dave's second wife. Marriage lasted all of a year before they split up."

"That's right, though they apparently stayed friendly. Monique spent a lot of time with the Lesters during summer vacations."

"To my mother's chagrin," Logan added.

"Not very close, were they?"

"Nope. In fact, Mom parted ways with her family when she married Aaron."

Veronica cringed slightly at the acid in his voice. "But didn't they patch things up at the end?"

"Sort of. Mom went back there a few months before she jumped. Maybe she wanted to make peace with them."

"Well, your Mom has one thing in common with Monique. They both graduated from NYU's Tisch School for the Arts. One for dramatic arts and the other for photography. Apparently this camera thing is a lifelong hobby. She was winning awards as a child, so the Pulitzer Prize must have been a drop in the bucket. Monique was out of school at age 20 and that's when the trouble started."

"What does Google say?"

Veronica typed in and widened her eyes at the hit count. "10000 hits? No one's life is that interesting."

Logan laughed. "Half of them are porn sites."

"And the rest claim she's having sex with farm animals." He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Think we should rescue DK?"

"Thought he was a big boy who could handle himself," she reminded him, then reddened when the double meaning hit her.

Logan tweaked her nose with a grin. "Got it in 1. Did you know that he has BFF tattooed on his right hand?"

Veronica punched his arm. "That's mean. I _could_ track her down, you know."

"And catch them in the act? Not a fucking chance."

She polished off the rest of her drink. "OK, so where to next, Jeeves?"

Logan tapped her forearm. "Be nice, or I'll call you Nancy Drew for the rest of the day."

"Only if I can call you Joe," she countered with an evil smile.

"Deal. Now let's take a ride on the mystery train and see where we end up."

The first time was like driving on 40 miles of bad road, all bumps and rifts and tumbling this way and that.

The second time went down like a vanilla milkshake, as smooth and silky as the glass tabletop where she fucked him.

Round three meandered like a gentle stream with sleepy slow slides of their bodies against the duvet.

By the time they got to 4, Duncan was ready to drop from exhaustion. "I can't do this any more."

The puzzle pieces of her face formed into a ragged smile. "Tired of me already?"

"No, just _tired_." He touched the edge of her scar and kissed his way down to her neck. "Who did this to you?"

Her heels wrapped around his knees as she curled into him. "My second husband. Guess he wanted to try out his new carving knife."

Duncan searched her face for signs that she was joking, but her moss green eyes were deadly serious. "That sucks. Is he serving time?"

"Nope."

"He got away with it?" he asked in outrage.

Monique shook her head. "Not really."

"So what happened to him?"

"I killed him." She made it sound like a walk in the park. With a gentle smile, she recounted, "He nearly severed my carotid artery with the first swipe of the knife. When he came at me again, I shot him in the face. It made _quite_ the mess on my Persian rug."

"You're shitting me."

She smiled grimly. "They ruled it as self-defense. Can you imagine? I spent a month in hospital and another month in a mental ward. Such fun."

"God, that's awful," Duncan shuddered and wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"It's water under the bridge."

Duncan kissed her forehead and smoothed a few strands of chestnut away from her face. "Why did you invite me here?"

"You needed plucking."

"Makes me sound like a chicken," he grumbled with a shy smile. "What's the real reason?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"I'm just an average jock. Why would you pick me out of the line-up?" Duncan asked lightly.

"It's those eyes of yours. I saw them through my telephoto lens and knew I had to sample you," Monique admitted.

He laughed at her choice of words. "So, am I an appetizer or the main course?"

"All of the above."

"Hmm. Can I have you for dessert?"

"I thought you'd never ask." With a smile that seemed oddly familiar, she twisted under him and sighed in delight when he found her center with his capable hands.

Veronica dialed up Alicia. "Hi, it's Veronica. Would you mind checking on Backup in a few hours? I'm headed to the mall with Mac for the afternoon."

"No problem. I'm glad you're getting out of the house. How are you feeling?"

Her stomach was kicking up acid and her head felt like a boulder. "_Peachy_."

Alicia was unconvinced. "You sure you're OK? Maybe I can stop by on my way to the unemployment office and make you some lunch."

She smiled. "I've already eaten, but thanks for the offer. Maybe I'll see you later."

"Sure thing. Take care now."

Veronica clicked off her phone and looked over to see Logan smiling. "What?"

"Nothing." His grin deepened as he started up the SUV.

"You think I'm amusing?"

"Vastly."

"_Great_. If I can't hack it as a PI, I can always double as a stand-up comic."

Logan turned onto the road heading out of town. "I think you should stick to sleuthing."

"That would be a compliment from anyone else's mouth," she said wryly.

He laughed. "Yeah, well, when it comes to lying and contingency plans, nobody does it better than you."

"That's hitting below the belt."

"Hey, I call it the way I see it," Logan said with a shrug.

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Veronica asked tiredly.

"_Me_? Now why would I want to do that? It's a beautiful day and I have the girl of my dreams riding shotgun," he answered with a straight face.

Veronica looked over at him but was unable to decipher his expression. "So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Am I dressed for the occasion?"

Logan smiled. "I would have preferred something shorter and a _lot_ tighter."

"I'll keep that in mind for our next date," Veronica replied.

He chuckled as they came to a stop sign. "Is _that_ what this is?"

"Why not? We've done everything _but_ go out."

"Not quite _everything_," Logan said as he flashed her a wink. "But we'll definitely catch up before the day is out."

Veronica felt the telltale creep of full blush break out on her cheeks. When she remained silent, Logan called her on it, "Have I actually rendered you speechless? This day really _is_ looking up."

She swatted his arm hard. "You'll pay for that remark."

Logan giggled idiotically. "God, I certainly hope so."

Duncan was dragged out of sleep by a distant noise. He barely opened one eye and groaned at the time. "Christ. How did it get to be 3:00?"

She was gone from the bed. "Monique?" he called sleepily. No fucking answer. Great. Had she abandoned him?

His stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. Duncan threw back the covers and found his clothes draped over a chair. As he got dressed, he spotted a bottle of pills on her side of the bed.

_It's none of my business. I know how violated I felt when Veronica dug into my files. So how will Monique react if I find out what's going on with her? I know she's certifiable. Hell, no one who's normal tears a room apart when they have sex and laughs afterwards. _

Duncan moved closer to the pills and finally gave in to his innate curiosity. The label was newly typed and recently filled. _Lithium_. "Holy shit," he whispered. He put the bottle back and nearly jumped out of his skin when the noise repeated itself. After listening for a few seconds, he made out some musical notes and figured she was playing the radio.

"Monique?" Still no answer. OK, she must be somewhere around here. Duncan padded out to the hallway in his bare feet and started following the sound to its source. After moving another ten feet, he discovered an office tucked off to one side with a red light glowing through a crack in the door. He touched the door and it opened on silent hinges. She was peering up at a row of newly developed photos, so immersed in her work that she didn't see him move in behind her.

Her multi-faceted hair was pinned to the top of her head in a sloppy twist. A cut off sweatshirt cleared her midriff and exposed her clavicle. Skintight jeans encased her lower extremities and flip-flops completed the picture. "Hey," he said softly.

She smiled and beckoned him to move closer. "Help me choose."

Duncan asked, "Choose what?"

"Which pictures do you like the best?"

He squinted up at the photos and coughed when he saw himself and Logan rough-housing in the surf. "Umm, how powerful is that lens of yours?"

"600 mm."

Duncan squirmed slightly. "I like the two on the left."

Monique nodded. "So do I." She removed them from the line and placed them inside a plastic sleeve. "Here, they're yours."

He was slightly overwhelmed by the gesture. "Thanks, but I shouldn't."

She hung her head for a moment and then nodded. "All right. Perhaps you can give them to Logan."

Duncan scratched at his ear. "How do you know him again?"

Monique answered, "He's my nephew."

All the air escaped from his lungs as he stared at her. "_What_?" Fucking an older woman was one thing, but screwing around with his best friend's aunt? That was twisted and impossible and a million other unmentionable things. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't think it was a big deal," she replied in an infuriatingly offhand manner.

"Like the Lithium isn't a big deal?" Duncan crossed his arms and waited for her to explode in his face.

Monique merely raised an eyebrow. "Not if you have bipolar disorder."

"_Oh_." That explained a lot about her behavior. "You know what? I need to leave now."

She shrugged. "All right."

Logan grinned at Veronica's growing impatience. "Almost there, short stuff."

She held out her hands like claws and he pretended to shiver. "You don't want to test me, _Joe_."

He laughed. "Too late, _Nancy_."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "You know what? I think you're right. You and Joe have nothing in common, but I could make a case for Sid Vicious."

Logan put on his turn signal. "Watch it, or I'll start singing _My Way_."

"If it's anything like your drunken rendition of Heat Miser, then I think I'll pass."

"_Hey_, that was DK," he said in mock outrage.

"Same difference," she said flippantly.

"Oh yeah?" Logan wanted to yank her chain a little. "So let me get this straight. If Dun-clone and I are interchangeable, does that mean we get to share you? Alternating weekdays might work."

Veronica laughed. "Hitting the crack pipe again?"

He was on a roll. "But hey, we could also try a threesome. A Veronica sandwich with you on the inside and me and D on the outside. _Think_ of the possibilities."

"Ooh, is there room for Backup?"

"The more, the merrier. Think I should give Trine a call?" Logan snarked.

"And corrupt my poor innocent dog? I think not."

He slowed down and took a right onto a country road. "I think we're here."

Veronica's eyes lit up as she read the sign. "This is your surprise?"

"Sure is."

She reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Logan grinned. "You're going to have to do better than that, Ronnie." He turned his face and caught her lower lip with his teeth. Veronica inched closer and sighed when he opened her mouth under his, tasting her sweet breath as their tongues collided and swirled. He smiled against her lips and added, "Not bad. But when this adventure is over, I expect payment in full."


	2. 2

AN: Thanks for the feedback. I was not going to update this so quickly because I wanted to wait until it was finished to post the rest. But seeing as that finish is at least two weeks away by my reckoning, I thought I would throw out some LoVe for those who like such things. I can promise you that you will like where I leave this chapter, but I cannot promise you that things will stay easy or happy for an extended period. Because the way I have planned the ending, it will echo something in the show and will be open-ended. This means it is up to the reader's interpretation. Here is another 8 pages. And oh, if you want to read more frequent updates, go to and check out the veronicamarsfic community. I do regular updates there rather than here.

The ride back was quiet and unhurried. She tapped her fingers to some imaginary music and kept her eyes on the road. When they came within a mile of the Neptune exit, Duncan asked, "Was it something I said?"

"Huh?" Monique asked pleasantly.

"Well, it's just…I hope I didn't offend you."

"How could you possibly do that?" She seemed genuinely confused by his comment.

"I turned down your pictures."

She smiled. "So what? They're _pictures_, not the end of the world."

"Are you sure? Because I thought…with what happened between us…" Duncan faltered when she touched his shoulder.

"You are very sweet, Duncan, but you owe me nothing. No explanations, no strings, and no guilt."

He lowered his gaze and felt a flood of shame and disappointment. "OK."

Monique lit a cigarette and dangled her hand out the window. "Tell me, was it _supposed_ to mean something?"

Duncan hemmed and hawed for a second. "I…uh…it usually does, yeah."

She took a drag and stopped at the bottom of the exit ramp. "I was like you once, but love kicked me in the ass and left me for dead."

"I'm sorry." What the hell else could he say?

Monique finished her cigarette and ground it out in the ashtray. "Don't be. So, where should I take you now?"

"You can drop me off at the beach if you want."

"Are you sure? Your friends have probably gone home."

"Right. Umm, do you know where The Camelot Motel is?"

She shook her head. "Is it near the business district?"

"Sort of. Head downtown and take a left at the post office."

"So what's at the Camelot?"

He felt the need to fill the silence. "Logan is staying there."

Monique looked at him oddly. "Why?"

"_Why_ do you think? Don't you read the newspaper?" Duncan asked in disbelief.

"No. I am here because Logan contacted his grandfather for help."

"And that's the _only_ reason?" Disbelief gave way to disgust.

She hissed in annoyance. "Jesus, what do you want from me? I'm not here on a mission from God."

"_Someone_ has to help him."

"Maybe he should learn to help himself," she observed coolly.

"He's a minor. How is he supposed to do that?"

Her laugh could have cut glass. "Get a job? I know it's a stretch, but we all have to start somewhere."

"You are _unbelievable_."

"I've been called worse." Monique spotted the motel and shook her head. "This is a sad place."

Duncan yanked open the door. "Thanks for nothing."

She ignored his pissiness. "Where is your car?"

He scanned the parking lot in dismay. "Logan must be using it."

"Then I'll drive to your house."

"_No_," he said forcefully. "I mean, that's not a good idea."

Monique laughed. "So what are you going to do? Sit here until he gets back?"

"I have no choice."

She turned her car off. "_Nonsense_. What room is he staying in?"

"210. But I don't have a key."

"So we let ourselves in."

"But that's…" He ran his hand through his hair with a frown.

"Trespassing?" Monique turned around and gestured to him. "Are you coming?"

Duncan followed in her wake and watched her look both ways before extracting something from her purse. "_Hey_, that's a…"

She shut him up with an icy look. "Thanks for pointing that out." With a deft twist of her wrist, Monique worked the pick and popped open the door. "Here you go."

"I'm still not sure about this."

Monique patted his arm. "You're a good boy, Duncan. Your parents are lucky to have you."

Sure they were. "Not so much anymore."

"Yes, well, they don't have to know about this. It'll be our little secret." She reached over and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips lingered for a second before she whispered, "Au revoir."

In the moment that she turned, Duncan caught a reflection from a car parked in the street. When he moved closer, he saw a telephoto lens sticking out of a window. "Fuck." he yelled, "They took our picture."

Monique smirked. "Get inside. I'll take care of this."

Veronica looked at the fair grounds and back at Logan. He was wearing a sweet, expectant expression that she wasn't used to seeing on his face. "A carnival for our first date. I never would have guessed."

He took her hands in his. "That's the whole point, Ronnie. If I made things easy, what fun would it be?"

"How did you know this was here?" She felt a rush of heat when he started caressing her palm with one of his fingers.

"It's here at the same time every year. I only know about it because my Mom used to take me when I was little," Logan admitted wistfully. "That kind of thing stopped when her movie career kicked into high gear."

Veronica touched his forearm. "Well, maybe we can bring back a little of that magic."

Logan slid his hands up her arms and kissed her forehead. "That's what I was hoping." He wrapped his arm around her waist and cuddled her close.

"What do you want to do first?"

"I seem to remember this one booth over by the Ferris wheel. Want to check it out?"

"That sounds good, but can we grab some food first? I'm starving."

Logan smacked his forehead. "Duh. How could I forget something so basic?"

"You were too busy feeding on the snarkfest to notice."

"Is _that_ what it was?" He pulled her over toward a hot dog stand. "Let's start with the basics."

Veronica started to take out her wallet when he stopped her with his hand. "I'll get this."

"OK, but I'll get the next round. Two chili dogs with all the fixings," she told the guy behind the counter.

Logan laughed. "Same for me."

Four hot dogs and two sodas quickly disappeared and were replaced with cotton candy and fried dough. "This is _awesome_," she crowed.

He smiled. "Where do you put it all?"

She patted her thighs. "Inside my hollow legs."

Logan traced the outline of her hand and rested his hand on the inside of her knee. "Feels pretty solid to me, Mars."

Her eyes closed when his hand inched higher. "Not here," she whispered in a strangled tone.

His lips brushed against hers and she stared through her lashes at his intense gaze. "You sure?"

His fingers tiptoed to her waist and ducked under the edge of her shirt. "L-Logan," she stammered when his hand found the warm skin of her lower back.

Logan licked at the sugar that lined her lips and levered her mouth open with his. When she started falling backward, he caught her with his free arm and started twisting his lips back and forth across hers, seesawing in the same way that he had at the Camelot. Liquid heat soared through her as he deepened the kiss and bent her back even further. When he finally pulled away to catch his breath, her eyes fell open like a china doll's and were instantly entranced by the adoration shining from his eyes. "Veronica, I…" Logan stopped and looked away for a second, clearly overwhelmed by the sexual tension that stretched between them.

"Tell me later," she urged softly. "In _private_."

His gaze searched her face for a moment. "All right. You ready to find that booth?"

"Sure. Is this one of those games where I can beat your ass?"

Logan smiled. "Not quite, but the outcome should prove to be very important."

Veronica jostled him with her elbow. "Did the 8 ball tell you that?"

"Shit. Now you know _all_ my secrets," he joked.

She looked at him solemnly. "I doubt it."

Logan picked up on her malaise. "You know more about me than anyone else, Veronica. I mean, when you get right down to it, there's not much to see. It's all there on the surface."

The hurt in his voice burned away all the other emotions and she buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't sell yourself short."

He hugged her back and drew her forward with a gentle tug, directing her attention to a brightly colored kiosk that was rimmed with eager teenage boys and their dates. "There it is, _Nancy_."

"Go kick ass, _Joe_."

Duncan watched the action from the hotel window. Monique was right in the photographer's face and it was quite a sight to see her hands flying as she talked. The guy flamed right back at her and then he started to look scared when she grabbed his camera and shook it. In very short order, the car with the camera was out of the picture and Monique was holding her thumb up. She started moving toward the Porsche but stopped when he came barreling down the stairs. "What did you tell him?"

She smiled triumphantly. "I made a deal. Jake won't print the photo, and I won't go to the press with the dirt I have on him."

"You actually _know_ the guy?"

Monique made a face. "He went to school with me at NYU."

"How far the mighty have fallen," Duncan said.

"Hey, he's laughing all the way to the bank."

"What if he breaks his word?"

Monique opened her hand to reveal a flash card. "He won't."

"I can't believe he gave that to you."

"He didn't. I grabbed his camera and made all this noise about smashing it. Jake was so distracted that he never saw me remove the flash card." She noticed Duncan's worried expression and added, "I will shred the files on here. You have my word that none of this will ever see the light of day."

"Thanks." Duncan offered his hand and she pumped it with little enthusiasm.

"So, will I see you tomorrow at the hearing?"

"Probably not."

Monique nodded. "I enjoyed my time with you. Take care now." With a brisk nod, she jammed her hands in her pockets and jumped in the car. He waved as she left the lot but knew that her mind was already a million miles away.

Logan watched Veronica jump up and down like a little girl and knew he'd made the right choice in bringing her here. "This will not be my finest hour," he cracked, staring at the ring toss game with a fake pout.

"Hasn't Luke taught you anything?" she joked. "Maybe we should have brought him with us."

That was the last thing he wanted right now. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"What, no snarky comeback? I'm _crushed_."

He ruffled her hair affectionately and laughed when she said, "Go on, mush."

"What did you do, memorize my entire back catalog?" Logan joked.

"Hey, at least I know a good line when I steal one."

Logan rolled his eyes. "_Wow_. Was there a compliment buried in there?"

She shook her head. "Nope. That was your ego talking."

"If you're going to insult me, at least get it right. His name is Id."

Veronica raised an eyebrow and pointed at the booth. "Well, Id, it's time to strut your stuff."

"Sure thing, sugar. Prepare to watch me annihilate the competition," he boasted with a half smile that turned into a full grin when the first ring missed its mark.

Veronica leaned against him and giggled when he missed the second toss. "Only three more tries. Need a little help?"

He kissed her ear and growled, "Think you can do better, girlie?"

"Hell, yes. Give me one of those rings." Veronica grabbed a red ring and aimed for the nearest post. It landed neatly around her target and she put her arms over her head and bowed.

"Beginner's luck," he said with a devilish smile.

"Oh, yeah? Let's see you hit the mark."

Logan picked up a blue ring and lobbed it to the farthest stick, where it settled neatly into place. "There you go," he replied with a smirk.

"You're not done here," she reminded him with a dig of her elbow.

He grabbed up a green ring and aimed it with practiced casualness. "Oh, I think I am, Mars." The ring settled on top of hers and he blew on his fingertips with a gleeful smile.

Veronica looked at him suspiciously. "I think I've been set up."

"It took you this long to figure it out?" Logan kissed her cheek and caressed her face with his thumb. "So which bear do you want?"

Her eyes lit up as she leaned forward and examined the vast array of stuffed animals. "That one," she said, pointing at a tiny pink and white bear with a heart on its chest.

"Good choice," Logan said as the booth operator hooked the bear and handed it to Veronica.

"I already have a name for him," Veronica said softly.

"Why am I not surprised?" he said with a laugh. "So you're going to subject that poor guy to a pink and white existence?"

"You want to hear his name or not?" She put her hand on her hips and tucked the bear in her pocket with a defiant gleam in her eyes.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Do I have a choice?"

"His name is Normal."

Logan nearly melted at the way her eyes sparkled up at him. "As in _Abby_ Normal?"

She butted her head against his arm. "It's a _boy_ bear."

He smacked his forehead. "_Right_. How could I forget? Hey, maybe we should try to win a girl bear to keep him company."

Veronica shook her head. "I think he's all set."

Logan knew she was referring to something other than the bear. "Really?"

She nodded. "But if there was a girl bear, I know what she would tell him."

"What's that?" he asked gently.

Veronica stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his lips. "I wuv you beary much."


	3. 3

Duncan was bored out of his skull, and when he got bored, trouble seemed to find him. He had a few choices, and he hated all of them. If he called a cab, then he'd have to explain his actions to his parents. Calling them for a ride was also out. That left waiting in this grungy hotel room with nothing but time on his hands. Any way you sliced it, it all sucked.

He flopped on the bed and ordered Chinese take-out from the closest dive. His next executive decision was charging a few porn flicks to his credit card. The food arrived and he turned on _Debbie Does Dallas_. Ten minutes of listening to bad music and cardboard acting made him realize that the actors looked even more bored than he was. With a sigh, he shut off the TV and chewed on his egg roll while the couple next door banged against the wall and provided a better soundtrack than any stupid X-rated film.

Once the food was gone, he grabbed Logan's Game Boy and burned out a few brain cells with Tomb Raider. "How can he stand this crap?" Duncan wondered, throwing down the console and staring over at Logan's laptop. An idea started to germinate and take root and a few minutes later, he got up the nerve to boot up his friend's PC. Maybe some mindless surfing could make the time go by faster.

There was no password screen and it booted straight to Logan's desktop. He stared at the wallpaper for a few seconds and swallowed hard at the sight of Veronica's face. "What the hell am I doing?" he muttered, shoving the laptop aside and putting his head in his hands. "Since when do I snoop into Logan's business?"

Duncan's eyes returned to the screen where her picture beckoned to him. _I love you, Veronica. Why can't you see that? You don't belong with someone like Logan. He'll poison you like he's ruined me. Everything he touches is broken like he is. _His resolve hardened as he opened up Firefox and started parsing through Logan's bookmarks. The Smoking Gun was at the top of the list, followed by a maze of entertainment and multimedia sites. He scrolled to the very bottom and that's when he saw it.

_Veronica's Journal_

"What the fuck?" Duncan selected the URL and a neatly designed site with pink flourishes popped up. He started reading the latest entry and felt his brain freeze on the words _last night_ and _want to believe in love again_ and _help me find the way_.

_God, they were together last night._ All that bullshit about trust and betrayal had been Logan blowing smoke up his ass. When he'd seen Logan, he'd been swinging a gym bag. It was hardly the kind of thing you needed for talking, but it was perfect for an overnight stay. Duncan wasn't sure where Logan had stashed his fugly X-Terra, but he'd probably hidden it to foil any nosy journalists. "Sorry, buddy, but they already know where you are." With an angry sigh, he turned off the PC and sat back with his hands laced behind his head. "What the fuck am I supposed to do about this?"

The lady next door yelled out someone's name and Duncan snarled, "Who the hell asked you?" He felt only slightly guilty about snooping in his friend's files, because Logan had always done shit like that. He and Veronica might be a match made in hell, but they were two peas in a pod. Oh, he could never say that to their faces, but it was true. Was that how it happened? Was that why they found their way to each other? Was this something new or had it been going on for a long time? Duncan's thoughts returned to the night of Homecoming when Lilly had asked Logan what he first thought of Veronica and Logan had muttered something about her being hot. Duncan had laughed it off, but he remembered Logan's nervous smile and now knew that something had always been there. "Shit, how did I miss this?"

That was easy. He'd been blindsided by his love for Veronica, so saturated by her that he felt sick when she was away from him. She had filled his every thought and was his night and his day. As far as he'd been concerned, the sun rose and set on Veronica Mars. Even now, with the space of more than a year, his feelings hadn't changed. With the barrier of incest removed, he'd hoped to move forward with her, but Logan was still in the way.

Duncan got up from the desk and noticed one of Logan's doodle pads sticking out of his satchel. He started to reach for it and stopped, but his guilty conscience only slowed him down for a few seconds. His fingers closed over the notebook and pulled it out, glancing down at the familiar Lilly scrolls and frowning when he saw Veronica's name intertwined with flowers and other artsy fartsy stuff. He opened the notebook and a piece of paper slid out. Duncan pushed it aside and started flipping through the pages. Most were early pictures of Lilly, followed by sketches of Duncan and Veronica and some of Logan's other friends. Then the drawings started focusing exclusively on Veronica. Some were taken from the distance of a few aisles in the classroom and others were far more intimate. When he got to the very last page, he nearly tore the notebook in half when the picture pounded into his head and imprinted itself on his brain. It was a rather detailed sketch of Veronica lying on her side, the sheet falling away from her naked body as she slept. "Omifuckinggod," he moaned, clutching the notebook and hating the hot tears that started burning his eyes.

He wiped the moisture away with furious fingers and shoved the notebook back where he found it. As his eyes resumed focusing, he remembered the piece of paper and picked it up from the desk. Curiosity once again got the better of him and he unfolded it, knowing that he wouldn't like the contents. Duncan instantly recognized her writing and his vision started to swim as he tore through it, his mouth opening at the fact that she'd spilled their little incest secret. When he got to the end and somehow managed to put the paper back without tearing it into a zillion pieces, he stumbled away from the chair and fell facedown onto the bed. A shudder radiated through his body and telegraphed down his nerve endings, sending him into one of his blind rages. Fists pounded the bedspread and flailing feet kicked the edge of the bed as the raving frenzy took over, and he felt himself lifted away from the scene. Duncan looked down on himself for a moment and wondered if he was having one of those seizures, but when he came slamming back into his body, he remembered every last painful detail. But worse than that, he suddenly realized that the entire epilepsy thing was yet another one of his mother's lies. Because now that he was completely free of medication, his memory had returned to its former sharpness. Too bad the people around him still thought he walked around in a perpetual fog. They continued to underestimate and overlook him. With a grim smile, he sat up and knew that one way or another, he'd make them all pay.

_It's do or die time, pal. If you blow this, then you probably won't get another chance._

Logan pulled back from her kiss and touched her face with the pad of his thumb. "Normal is a lucky guy," he said with forced lightness

"So is Abby." Her fingers tangled in his hair as she kissed his jaw.

His breath hissed out in a ragged stream. "Veronica, I…I suck at this. I know what I want to say, but I can't seem to say it without making an ass of myself."

"I know what you mean. Why do you think I keep a journal?"

"About that…" Logan started, quickly cut off by her torrent of words.

"You obviously read my last entry, or you wouldn't be here. What changed your mind?"

God, there were a million answers to that question. "I want to make things right with you. I can't repair the damage that my father has done, but I'm hoping…we can get past it and move forward. Do you think that's possible?"

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "It's not only possible, it's already happening."

Logan kissed her temple and hugged her tiny frame against him. They swayed like a drunken couple in a gale force wind and staggered back against a picnic table. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I really do." Veronica rubbed her face against his cheek and scampered into his lap as he sat down.

He sighed in contentment as she settled against him and decided that as much as he wanted her right now, it was more important that they talked. "Your letter made a lot of sense."

Her mouth smiled against his neck. "Never thought I'd see the day when you agreed with me."

Logan chuckled. "Yeah, well, all that stuff about us not being friends got me thinking. You're right. I've been a complete asshole for the past year. You deal with things by running away; I deal by pushing people to the limit."

"You're good at it." It wasn't a compliment.

He snorted, "_Thanks_, Ronnie. And I have to commend you on that ducking and dodging thing."

Her hand tightened on his shoulder. "Seems like you do a little of that yourself."

This was _not_ going the way he wanted. "What'd you expect when you threw Duncan in my face? Was I supposed to stand there in the shower with a 180 pound gorilla hanging over me?"

Veronica sat up and stared him down until he lowered his head. "We _have_ to deal with Duncan. You can't will him away like a genie."

Logan raised his eyes. "I _know_. It's just…my family has caused him so much pain already."

"He's _not_ dumb, Logan. Even if we avoid the issue, he's going to figure it out on his own. Can we really afford a repeat of that night at your house?"

His mouth twisted as unpleasant memories assailed him. "_No_."

"He's probably waiting for his car. Why don't we go together and see him?" Veronica suggested.

Logan felt another snort work its way through his mouth. "You really know how to kill a mood, blondie. We're _still_ on a date here, and I _still_ expect full payment."

"After that little tirade? I'm not sure you deserve…"

His lips cut her off as he laughed into her mouth, quickly stilling her protests with the tip of his talented tongue. He traced the outline of her lips and kissed her so lightly that she mumbled in protest. With her strong little hands, she grabbed his ears and returned his kiss with the full force of her passion. His eyes flew open when she sucked on his lower lip like a Popsicle and murmured, "You taste so damned good."

He shuddered when her soft lips rambled across his cheeks to his ear. "R-Ronnie, think we should take this offline?"

Veronica stiffened when she saw a sea of people staring at them as they passed. "Good idea."

_In your eyes I can see that you're cracking up  
In your eyes I can see that you've had enough  
and It pains my head_

In your eyes I can see that you're cracking up  
In your eyes I can see that you fell In love  
and It pains my head

_Close your Eyes, The Chemical Brothers_

Duncan sat there and laughed until he cried. As the tears coursed down his face in salty rivulets, he slapped his knees and giggled in an insane echo of his _former_ best friend. Truth be told, the good part of Logan had died with Lilly. The part that remembered kindness and compassion had flamed out with their shining star. When sanity started to return, he remembered the cell phone in his pocket and laughed again at his stupidity.

_Why don't I call him and ask him to bring my car back? _

He forget about revenge for the minute it took him to speed dial into Logan's voice mail. With a hoarse voice, he rasped, "Logan, it's Duncan. I'm not sure why you took my car, but I want it back. Call me when you get this message." There was no point in telling him _where_ he was, or give up the element of surprise. With a maniacal laugh, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and wondered if he should take the room apart. Management would blame it on Logan and force him to pay with money he didn't have.

"Too easy," he muttered. "Doesn't deserve easy." Duncan strolled over to Logan's bag and dug around until his fingers closed around the ever-present flask. He opened it up and one sniff told him that Logan had returned to downing straight tequila. The cap went flying as he started gulping Cuervo like a fish, mouth flapping as he chugged it down, only stopping when it burned like a supernova. He puffed out his cheeks and took a few deep breaths as the alcohol hit him like a sledgehammer.

"Much better." The flask fell by the wayside as he upended Logan's bag and laughed as a shower of coins and personal crap fell to the bed. He grabbed Logan's iPod and bounced it off the wall a few times. It still worked after the fourth round, so he moved on to greener pastures. He started yanking open CD and DVD cases and tossing the disks around like Frisbees. That got boring fast, so he ended with a sealed package addressed to Aaron Echolls.

"What the hell is this?" Duncan tore through the outer wrapping and pulled away a layer of bubble wrap. A videotape dropped to the floor with a muffled thud. He spotted a camera case and pulled out Logan's DV recorder. After a few lame attempts, he managed to load the tape and hit Play. When the video started rolling and the flames danced in Logan's eyes, Duncan wasn't sure how to react. Part of him wanted to cheer at Logan's sheer audacity, but another part of him saw a solution to one of his problems. "L-Logan's Last Stand," he stammered, slurring his words as he pocketed the tape and waited for his prey.

Veronica's mouth never left his as they bumped and bounced their way to the parking lot. She tripped over a rock and laughed as Logan caught her, scooping her up in his arms and running at full speed to the Benz. "Last one in is a rotten egg," he crowed, letting her slide to her feet and ducking when she swatted at him. Logan started jogging around the car and turned it into a playful chase. She tackled him from behind and screeched when he started tickling her. His other hand dangled the keys out of reach and howled when she retaliated and tickled him under his arms. The keys dropped purposefully to the ground and peace was restored when she retrieved them.

"You're _so_ going to pay for that little stunt," Logan warned with a half smile as he dusted off his pants and helped Veronica to her feet.

"So, is this a partial payment or the full enchilada?"

"I've always been partial to Mexican…" He bit her shoulder and laughed when she gnawed on his finger. "Hungry, my pet?" Logan patted her on the head like a dog and was rewarded with a sharper bite.

"Why don't you feed me and find out?" Veronica said brazenly.

"What do you have in mind?" He unlocked the car and helped her in.

"The possibilities are endless." Veronica enjoyed flirting with him and saw his ears turn red as he considered her offer.

"Hmm, shall I take milady here, or should we adjourn to the bedroom?" Logan rested his hands on the steering wheel and smiled through his adorable blush.

Veronica looked over her shoulder at the back seat and shivered slightly. She wanted no memory of Duncan when she was with Logan, and this car had been used for more than a few make-out sessions. "Home, Jeeves."

"Keep it up, Mars, and I may have to spank you." He looked sideways and laughed at her expression.

Logan was still chuckling when she suggested, "Might work better with my Dad's handcuffs."

"Ooh, can we throw away the key?"

"We'll be chained for life."

He smiled. "That's the _plan_, Ronnie."

Her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. "What are you saying?"

They stopped at the light near the interstate and he let his fingers trail down her face. "Don't you know? Haven't I given you enough clues, _Nancy_?"

Veronica was on shaky emotional ground. "Not yet, Joe," she joked.

The light changed to green and he drove up the ramp. "Well, then, you have my promise that by the end of the night, your mystery will be solved."

Logan convinced her to go on ahead to make sure the coast was clear. While he waited, he checked his messages and frowned at the cryptic message from Duncan. The tone in DK's voice left him with a bad taste in his mouth. Things were going right for a change, and he wasn't about to let his friend form a wedge between him and Veronica. He looked up at her door and wondered what was taking so long. A few minutes passed and she finally poked her head out and gave him a thumbs up.

He took the stairs at a fast clip and rushed over when he saw her leaning weakly against the bathroom door. "You OK?" he asked anxiously.

Veronica wiped her mouth with a tissue. "Yeah, I think so. Must have been those chili dogs," she joked.

Some alien emotion slid across her face and he knew she was skating the truth. "What's the _real_ story, Veronica?"

She sank down onto the toilet seat and hid her face in her hands. "I flushed all my pills this morning."

"That's a good thing, right?" Pills never did his Mom much good and they didn't seem to be helping Veronica.

"Not exactly." Veronica looked over her fingers and he was struck by her pallid color. "Zoloft can be kind of nasty if you go cold turkey. My doctor warned me about the side effects, but I guess I didn't take him seriously."

Logan sank to his knees and stroked her hair. "I'm not sure, but I think Duncan went through something like this. Maybe he can help you."

Her blonde hair lashed his arm as she shook her head. "Trust me. After we talk to him, he'll want nothing to do with me."

"There's always Miss James."

She made an impatient sound. "I only want you."

His throat closed with emotion as he kissed the top of her head. "Need some help getting undressed?" he cracked, grinning when she pushed at his arm with her hand.

"No thanks. I mastered that skill at age 3," she boasted with a tiny smile.

"Hmm, did you also master this skill?" Logan brushed his mouth against hers and smiled when she responded with hungry abandon.

She caught her breath and said, "Sure. I practiced on the dog."

He rolled his eyes and cried, "On the scale of things I _didn't_ need to know…"

Veronica interjected. "And when the dog wasn't available, I experimented on GI Joe."

"What? No Ken doll? I'm _shocked_, Veronica Mars."

"Ken was a dickless wimp."

Logan laughed. "So GI Joe had _all_ his equipment?"

"_No_, but _you_ certainly do." Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she extended her hands and let him lift her to her feet. As they stood toe-to-toe and gazed at each other, she whispered, "The bedroom's _that_ way, Jeeves."


	4. Chapter 4

Veronica giggled exuberantly as he pulled her out the door and into the hallway. Her hips bumped hard against the wall as he pinned her in place with his luscious lips, slowly feasting on her as he worked his way from one corner of her mouth to the other. The tip of his tongue traced the crease of her lips and gained entrance when her mouth parted invitingly. He changed the angle of attack and deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue in and out in an unmistakable rhythm that was echoed by the rotation of his hips. Her head fell back when he turned his attention to the cords of her neck, slurping on her most sensitive spots and increasing the pressure when she groaned. "I think I'm lost, dog-boy."

His laugh rumbled against her throat and vibrated to her very core. "Mmm, I'll draw you a map." Logan followed the edge of her neckline and stopped in the vee between her breasts. "Still lost, little girl?"

Veronica closed her hand over his and tried to catch her breath. "'Fraid so. Can you help me find my way?"

He dropped his hands and started backing down the hall. "Right this way, ma'am."

Veronica was so focused on his goofy expression that she didn't see his outstretched foot. She tripped and fell straight into his arms. The momentum propelled them onto the bed and sent its quiescent liquid into random chaos, its watery arms rolling their bodies to and fro. She started to feel dizzy at the bed's crazy canting and jumped up with her hands clutching her stomach. "Gotta find some…" The roiling increased and she barely made it to her wastebasket. Dry heaves pulsated through her entire body and drained her completely. When they finally subsided, she started to collapse and was caught by the safety net of his arms.

"I'm sorry," Logan murmured as he stroked her hair. "I wasn't thinking."

"S'OK." Veronica liked this kinder and gentler version of Logan. "You don't have to stay. I'll be OK."

"Sure you will, Ronnie." He kissed her chin. "I'm not going anywhere."

She sighed as he helped her to the bed and took off her shoes. "Keep it up, Joe, and I might find some use for you yet."

The last thing she remembered was his laugh and the comforting warmth of his body as he slid behind her.

Logan sat in her chair and watched her sleep. His sketchpad was missing and his fingers itched for something to keep him busy. The dog padded in and settled by his feet with a mournful sigh. "I know how you feel, boy," he whispered, dropping his fingers to scratch the dog's ears.

His phone vibrated and he glanced down and saw his aunt's name. With a slightly raised eyebrow, he moved out to the kitchen and answered. "If it isn't Aunt Money. Calling to check up on me?"

"Very cute. You think you're the first person who's used that nickname?"

"Hey, a guy's gotta try. What can I do for you, Auntie M?"

Her sigh was a mix of exasperation and laughter. "I am worried about your friend."

"What's the matter, DK couldn't get it up? It's not the first time."

Monique muttered something in French. "He seems…emotionally disconnected."

"Yeah, well, he's been through a lot in the past year."

"_Maybe_." She sounded unconvinced. "There is one more thing. Stella will pick you up at 9 sharp."

"All right. Thanks. You plan on making an appearance?"

"Probably. See you soon."

"Later." Logan turned off his phone and returned to Veronica's room with a heavy sigh. This might be their last night together and he wasn't about to squander it with needless worry.

Veronica stretched like a feline and was thrilled to see Lilly floating next to her. "I miss you," she said.

Lilly smiled. "How can I stay away when you keep calling me back?"

"I don't mean to, but nothing makes sense without you."

Her friend smacked her fist into her other hand. "What's the matter with you, Veronica Mars? The world didn't end when I died."

Tears filled her eyes. "It felt like it did."

"Why aren't you partying? You _caught_ the bad guy. Big bad Aaron is in jail, and they'll likely fry his ass."

Veronica laughed through her pain. "Want any sides with that?"

"You are _so_ bad, Veronica Mars." Lilly tapped her wrist and looked off into the golden light. "No wonder Logan is drawn to you."

"I love him, Lilly. How sick is that?"

Lilly laughed like she had on that night in the limo. "No more twisted than the fact that he's always loved you."

"_What_?" Veronica squealed. "No _way_."

"_Yes_, way. Open your eyes, _Ronnie_. Why do you think he was so flustered when we played Truth or Dare?"

"Logan _loved_ you, Lilly. He never gave me a second thought."

"In your _dreams, _VeronicaYou think I didn't notice him watching you?"

"It doesn't matter. He never made a move."

"What can I say? I kept him on a short leash." Lilly's laugh floated across the water and dissolved with her body, her features fading away with the sunlight as the fog rolled in.

"Is _this_ the way it's supposed to be?" Veronica whispered sadly as tendrils of mist swirled around her feet. She tried paddling but her float was stuck in place. "Help me out here, Lilly."

A voice pierced through the veil. "I'm here, Veronica."

Kind brown eyes that crinkled as he smiled. "L-Logan."

"Welcome back."

"Where's Lilly?" She looked down and saw the afghan. "She was right here."

His strong fingers smoothed back her hair. "It was a dream. You laughed a few times and then you woke up."

Veronica kneaded the comforter with her hand. "But it felt so real."

"I know." His thigh touched hers as he moved closer. "I still see her sometimes."

"What does she say?" Veronica rested her head on his shoulder and almost cooed when he wrapped his arm around her.

"All kinds of crazy shit."

Veronica smiled. "Which doesn't say much for us, does it?"

"Nope. So, did she give you any sage advice?"

She colored slightly and looked away. "She told me to open my eyes."

"Seems like I've heard that a few dozen times. What else did she say?"

Veronica forced herself to meet his gaze. "Umm…there might have been something about you loving me."

He stiffened slightly and took a deep breath. "Yeah, well, that part is true."

She added, "She said you've _always_ loved me."

Logan's laugh gushed out of him. "That's…_also_ true."

"Oh. _Wow_. OK, so what do we do now?"

He rubbed his face against hers. "I have a few ideas. Want to hear them?"

Duncan was sprawled out in the chair with an open bottle of JD. "Hee," he laughed, hoisting the bottle to an imaginary poker game. "_Not_ iced tea."

"I'm so proud, Donut," said a mocking voice.

He looked over and saw Lilly sitting there, looking as pristine and white as the day they laid her out in silk-lined mahogany. "You're _not_ here," he whined, pointing at his temple and making the crazy sign with his fingers.

Cool fingers touched his arm and forced his attention back to her dead face. "You sure about that, little brother?"

"Not here. _Dead_. Saw them put her in the ground," Duncan mumbled as he took another swig.

"Geez, will you guys quit this third person crap? It is _so_ annoying. I'm _here_, OK? _Deal_ with it." Lilly's eyes flashed at him as she flounced back on the bed.

He rubbed his eyes and refused to look at her. "What do you want?"

She jumped to her feet and stared at him with his mother's eyes. "Go home, Donut. You don't belong here."

Duncan looked through his fingers and sighed. "Too late. The damage is done."

"This isn't _you_, 'bro." Lilly's gaze encompassed the mess before razoring through him with Celeste-like precision.

"It is _now_," he giggled. "Don't you see? He's ruined my life, so I'm going to return the favor."

She folded her arms and tapped her foot. "Eye for an eye is _so_ last week, Donut."

Leave it to dead Lilly to question his motives. "_Whatever_."

Lilly flitted to his left side and laid her head on his knee. "It's going to blow up in your face."

Duncan started to shake from the sudden cold. "You're only saying that to protect him."

She leaned back and stared up at him with freaky upside down eyes. "Logan can take care of himself."

"Meaning what?"

Lilly repositioned herself until she was hanging upside down off his lap. "_Meaning_, I could offer you Hail Mary's and a boatload of alleluias, but you still wouldn't have a fucking prayer."

"Thanks a fucking lot," he snarled.

"Ooh, surly much?"

Lilly yanked on his hair until he brushed her hand away. "Get the hell away from me."

She sat up and laughed in his face. "For someone who just got royally _fucked_, you're sure in a pissy mood."

"Am I supposed to be grateful that she treated me like a piece of meat?" Duncan pursed his lips and stared at the ceiling with a petulant glare.

Lilly snickered. "What did you expect, hearts and flowers and undying declarations of love?"

He rolled his eyes. "_No_, but…"

"Then stop being a fucking hypocrite. It felt great, and that's all that matters."

Duncan cringed at the thought of her watching them. "Don't.even.go.there."

Lilly tapped her forehead. "I don't have to see you to know what's going on. D."

"Dead _and_ psychic?" he countered coldly.

"It comes with the territory."

"That's great," he muttered, more than slightly creeped out by this revelation. "And I thought _you_ were the transparent one."

She giggled. "Was that a joke I just heard? There's hope for you yet, Donut."

"You think?" Duncan was tired of this conversation and wanted her to leave.

Her icy fingers tousled his hair. "Your plan won't work, Duncan. I know you're angry, but this isn't going to make it better."

He exhaled heavily. "I disagree."

"_Fine_, but know this. If Veronica finds out, and you _know_ she will, she'll never forgive you."

Duncan's eyes flew open and stared into empty space. Had it all been a dream? He looked around and saw the same jumble of clothes and plastic fragments, but when his eyes stopped on the bed, there was a faint impression of someone's body. Closer inspection revealed a series of Duncan-shaped wrinkles and not much else. With a sigh, he sank back into the chair and closed his fingers protectively over the videotape that rested in his right front pocket.


	5. Chapter 5

_Show, not tell. Actions are everything, dude._

"Dance with me." Her spun-gold hair floated like dental floss as they twirled in tandem, their shadows kaleidoscoping on the wall in a mesh of gray and black. As she turned in Logan's arms, her peach-soft cheek brushed his face and sent off waves of sunshine and orange blossoms. He turned her again and ingested her essence, inhaling her so deeply that she was forever ingrained in his heart. On her third rotation, he was snared by the dancing blue lights of her gaze, and by the fourth movement, he was drowning in delft.

Logan felt himself falling and was met by the reassuring thwack of bone against baseboard, stunning him into temporary oblivion. Misty orbs dotted his vision and sharpened into familiar sapphire pinpoints. His dazed mind formed a name that painted itself into flowery curlicues on a lovesick boy's notebook. _Lilly_. _Couldn't be_.

"Lover, it's been too long." She yanked his hand as she skipped around Veronica's room.

He stumbled behind her and barked his shin on the edge of the bed. "This is a dream. You're not real. And I'm getting out of here."

Lilly shoved him down onto the bed and flounced next to him. "What's the hurry, Lo-gan? It's been ages, and we have lots of catching up to do."

Logan refused to look at her. "You're _dead_."

The touch of her hands felt like seaweed. "And _you're_ riding the crazy train, because here I am."

He shrunk away slightly and closed his eyes. "I've moved on."

Lilly ran a nail down his cheek. "_Liar_."

"Christ, you're annoying as ever." Logan opened one eye and saw her smirking down at him.

"Ha! I _knew_ I could get to you."

"Whoop-de-fucking-do."

She giggled and scratched him a little harder. "_Meow_ to you too. You always _were_ such an easy mark."

"Why are you here?"

"Because the three of you are hanging on to me."

Logan tried to sit up but she pushed him back down. "_What_?"

"You're nearly as dense as Donut, and he's pretty far gone."

Unease rippled down his spine as he remembered his aunt's warning. "You've _seen_ him?"

"Sure. Camelot Motel. Trashed out of his mind and ready to take you down. Sound familiar?"

Oh, God, this wasn't a dream. Lilly was _real_, or as real as a dead person could be. "So you're here to what, channel the Ghost of Christmas Present?"

"Wow, somebody _finally_ gets a fucking clue," she cried shrilly.

Logan felt the cold rush of anger as he stared at her. "Why'd you do it, Lilly? It was bad enough when you shoved Weevil in my face, but my father? What were you thinking?"

"_Thinking_ had nothing to do with it." Lilly shrugged like it was no big deal.

He pushed away his rage and stared at her sadly. "I loved you so damned much, and all you did was rip my heart out."

"What can I say? I was a bitch, and you were suffocating me."

Her fingers wrapped around his throat and she pretended to choke him. "Then why did you keep coming back?"

Lilly sat back on her heels and let him go. "For the sex. And for the record, let me say that your Dad has nothing on you."

Logan took a deep breath. "Is that supposed to comfort me?"

"Nope. That's Veronica's job."

Veronica. Damn. "Where is she?"

"Right here at your side. Tending to your needs." Lilly yawned and gave him a wink. "You took quite a knock on the head."

"Was that your doing?"

She laughed. "No, that was you with your two left feet. Next time you decide to _trip_ the light fantastic, you might want to look both ways."

"Haha. That's hysterical."

Lilly leaned closer. "I have one more question before I leave. Why don't you fuck her already?"

His eyes narrowed. "Been there. Done that."

She waggled her finger. "You can't fool me. That was _love_, and it was sweet, but she's ready for prime time."

"I don't want to hurt her."

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Puh-leez. It never stopped you from going at it with me."

Logan blushed as rather vivid memories flashed through his mind. "That was different."

She hissed in annoyance. "God, Logan, just kick the pedestal away and get it on with her. She wants it bad, and quite frankly, your time is running out."

Her face started to fade and he cried, "Wait."

"Tick tick." A half transparent Lilly stared at the clock.

"Why'd you spill all my secrets?"

"Because _someone_ had to. It was time that she knew the truth." Her eyes faded to denim slits and in a blink, only her mocking smile remained. Logan reached out and stopped when she grabbed his crotch and stroked him through his jeans, "Time to move on, lover."

Their impromptu waltz seemed like a distant memory, though Veronica's clock confirmed that only five minutes had passed since he'd tripped and gone down like a not so silent tree in a stick forest. Her initial assessment revealed a superficial head wound and a rising bump on his temple. "C'mon, big guy," she crooned, lifting him from under his arms and pulling him over to the bed. A second hoist brought his body half onto the coverlet with his legs trailing to the floor. "Will have to do for now."

Veronica tore through the apartment and returned with Band-aids and ice. She gasped at the amount of blood and forced herself to focus as she cleaned and covered his cut. Judging from the amount of sticky blood soaking his shirt, it was a lost cause. Several gentle tugs brought it up and over his head and she tried not to wince when his fingernails dug into her wrist. "_Sorry_," she whispered, knowing that he heard her on some level.

She hooked her arms under his knees and rotated his legs onto the bed, and though he lay at an oblique angle, he already looked more comfortable. Veronica slid a pillow under his head and secured the towel-wrapped ice pack to his forehead as she folded her body next to him. With her left arm draped over him and her hip touching the hard muscles of his thigh, she marveled over his sculpted body and wondered when he'd become so deliciously cut. Her eyes dropped slightly and she blushed when she saw his erection straining against his fly. _Must be a good dream_.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Softer and less strident than Lilly. Could it be--?

Logan cracked open an eye. "V-ronica?" he slurred thickly.

"I'm here." The warmth of her hands burned through his fog and brought him fully awake.

"'S'really you?" He traced the edges of her mouth and smiled when she kissed his fingers.

"Sure is." Veronica nuzzled his nose and settled her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh.

"Wow." Logan's head was thrumming like a drunken sailor on a conga line. "What hit me?"

She replied, "The floor."

Lilly hadn't been kidding. "I—"

"Sssh. You should rest."

Logan ripped off the ice pack and flung it at the wall. "Not what I had in mind." He flexed his body and brought her spiraling across him as he turned her in his arms and landed a gentle butterfly's kiss on each cheek.

Veronica brushed her mouth along the contours of his lips before succumbing to the insistent pressure of his tongue. His teeth clicked against hers as he deepened the kiss, sliding back and forth so rapidly that she groaned incoherently. The sound vibrated against his lips and jangled every nerve ending with its raw intensity. He pulled her on top of him and gasped when she started grinding against him, moving back and forth with deliberate intent. "Umm, maybe you should…oh, fuck…" Logan lost his ability to speak when her fingers did a quick tap dance on his crotch.

"S'bout time." She sampled his ear lobe with her teeth and ran her tongue across his clavicle.

He dipped his head and met her on her second lap, tasting salt and sweat and a hint of musk as he feasted on the spoils of her tempting lips. Then he pulled her upright and sucked his way up the column of her neck and across to the sweet spot behind her right ear. "'Zat so?"

Her hands dug into his biceps as he pressed his suit. "_Gah_." Veronica's head fell forward as she reared over him and exposed her delicious cleavage for his viewing pleasure. He dropped his eyes for a good long leer, taking in the upper curves of her breasts and the way they pressed together with each rotation of her hips, threatening to pop out of her tight little top.

Logan rested his thumbs on her upper ribcage and decided to give her a little assist. "You like that, Mars? You ain't seen nothing yet." As she undulated and sent his head spinning, he tugged on her shirt and snickered when her tits came spilling into his hands. He wet his palms and started rolling her nipples between his fingers, blowing on each one and smiling when her breath hissed in his ear. Her body swayed when he sucked her into his mouth and jerked when he bit her. From side to side he went, working her like the master that he was and nearly shooting his load when she loosed a toe-curling moan.

"More_,"_ Veronica begged when he paused to take a breath.

"Only if you ask nice." Logan tore her shirt from her body and tossed it on top of the ice pack. He followed that with a quick release of her bra's front snap and a dramatic toss in the other direction.

"_Pretty_ please," she said in a syrupy Southern accent.

"That's better, Scarlett." He slid his hands to the waistband of her shorts and pushed them down to her knees.

Veronica wriggled the rest of the way out of them and rested her hands on his chest. "Your turn, Rhett." She tweaked his nipples and smiled when he bit his lower lip. Her hands and mouth covered every inch of his chest and moved steadily downward. When she got to her goal, she grabbed his zipper with her teeth and pulled it open. He raised his butt and his jeans quickly joined the growing pile of clothes.

"Talented wench." Logan panted when her hot hands started stroking him and only stopped her when he came too close to the edge. He kissed each of her fingers and sucked on her thumbs while he batted his eyelashes at her.

Her answering moan was punctuated by a fit of giggles. "But I wanted to sample your wares," she complained good-naturedly.

Logan fanned out her fingers and sucked the center of each palm, increasing the pressure when she pulled on his head and finishing his tour by smacking a kiss on her lips. "And a _greedy_ wench too."

Veronica tossed her head like a spirited filly. "Damn straight."

He lifted her up and threatened to toss her over the side. "Say uncle."

"Aunt," she joked, gasping when Logan rearranged her legs and laced them behind his neck. With a half smile, he lowered his head and started lapping at her molten center, pressing harder when she shuddered with orgasm and yelled out his name.

Veronica and Logan were twisted together like a pretzel, limbs thrown every which way as he shimmied his way slowly up her torso. When they were face to face, he kissed her eyelids and nuzzled her face. "You OK?"

Words seemed meaningless when your entire body was humming. "_Mmm_." Veronica smiled lazily and dropped her legs to each side of him.

He grazed her lips with the tip of his tongue. "That a yes?"

She caught his tongue on its second pass and slurped it into her mouth. With an impish grin, he kissed her so thoroughly that her brain started whiting out. "Yessss," she hissed when he flicked his thumb across her clit to get her attention.

Logan's hair brushed against her belly as he kissed her upper thighs and slowly spread her legs apart. With a gentle smile that belied the strength in his upper body, he propped himself up on his elbows and pushed his way in, slowly acclimating her to his rapidly thickening cock. For a long beat, he stared down at her with cute crinkled eyes and winked as he withdrew, sliding nearly all the way out and giggling when she mewled in protest. With a swift reverse, he plunged back in and made her eyes bug out as he picked up the pace, grabbing her butt with both hands and slamming her hips into his. With a mock growl, he bit her neck and licked his way across her breasts as he moved deep inside her, fucking her so hard that she lost all conscious thought, only focusing on his harsh breathing and her heart trip hammering against him as their bellies slapped in a sloppy rhythm. Veronica's entire body tightened like a bow when he dropped his hand and did a few of those magical thumb flicks that sent her screaming over the cliff, taking him down with her as he climaxed. He gasped out her name and followed it with an unintelligible moan and a word that sounded strangely like love.

Logan surrounded Veronica with his arms and legs and settled her against his chest. Her lithe body glowed neon in the weird fluorescence of her room and he started thinking about spaceships and little green men. With an odd little laugh, he hugged her even tighter and nuzzled her hair with his lips.

"What?" Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Implants. Probes. Mind control." Logan made a mad scientist face and giggled like an escapee from the loony bin. At her _what the fuck_ glance, he said, "It's the lighting in this room. Could you be any more X-Files if you tried, _Nancy_?"

"Hey, _Joe_, it was my Dad's idea." She dug her fingers into his side and chortled when she found one of his ticklish spots.

"Oh my god, is that a _lava_ lamp? I thought those went out with the dinosaurs." Logan rolled his eyes and snickered when she tickled his other side.

She tweaked his nose and crossed her eyes at him. "What's bugging you?"

He sighed. "The past few days have been…_strange_. I'm starting to feel like this is someone else's life, you know? Like I'm going to wake up and all this will be gone."

Veronica framed his face with her hands. "It's _real_, Logan. I don't know _how_ it happened, and we may kill each other before too long, but I've learned that you have to grab what life gives you and go with it."

"And who taught you that?"

"_You_ did."

Her affirmation caught him by surprise and he covered up by snarking, "You sure it wasn't Lilly? She seems to be feeding you all sorts of dirt on me."

She flashed her million-dollar smile, but her eyes never made it past beaten and broken. "No, I'm pretty sure that I learned that from you."

This was _so_ not the time for teary-eyed crap. His stomach grumbled and he used that excuse to break the tension. "Hey, Veronica, should we order takeout? I'm kind of hungry."

"What do you have in mind?" She licked her lips salaciously and winked.

Logan shook his head with a laugh. "Hmm. Steak? Potatoes? Maybe some cheesecake?"

Veronica ran her hands up his arms and squeezed his biceps. "Cheesecake? _Check_."

He launched into his best Bogart impression, "That's _beefcake_, sweetheart." With an evil smirk, he stroked the sides of her breasts and dropped his hands to her waist. "How about foreplay with a cherry on top?"

She giggled. "We seem to be out of that flavor. How about some rocky road?"

Logan rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Story of my life. Yeah, OK, lead the way, tiny blonde one."

The dim kitchen light seemed slightly surreal with its dusky tones of ultramarine and umber. Logan meshed easily with the shadows and leaned his lanky frame against the counter, observing her scooping technique with a slightly raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. Veronica divvied out vanilla and chocolate into two bowls and tried not to gape at 6 extremely ripped and finely boned feet of sinew. She heard a slightly diabolical giggle as she snuck a look and was caught squarely in his melted chocolate gaze. "Umm…whipped cream?" she asked nervously.

Logan put his arms behind his head and leaned even further back. "_Absolutely_," he said huskily, dark eyes dropping from her face to her breasts and lingering for a long beat that was echoed by the throbbing in her loins.

She turned to unscrew the lid off the bottle of cherries and was startled when he moved in behind her and slid his arms around her waist. "Let me help you with that."

"How many do you want?" Veronica's eyes closed as he rubbed suggestively against her and parted the back of her thighs with his rapidly hardening cock.

He cupped her breasts and rotated his thumbs around her aureoles. "These two will do just fine."

"Not on the menu," she whispered as he wet his palms and massaged her nipples with saliva-slicked fingers.

"Must be a special." The intimacy of his tone buckled her knees and she fell back against him, barely noticing when he reached over and grabbed the can of whipped cream.

Her eyes closed as he bent her over his arm and she never saw the nozzle coming at her. With a grin, he pressed down and made a Veronica mustache. Her eyes flew open in shock as he licked the cream off her and smacked his lips loudly. She punched his arm and announced, "Dude, you are so dead."

Delighted laughter spilled out of him and he danced out of reach with the can held high. "Can't catch me."

"Wanna bet? I have the home court advantage." She lunged across the counter and sent the bowl of vanilla into orbit. With a grunt, he jumped backward and spun around in circles, barely missing the bowl as he leaped over it and careened off the wall.

Logan looked up at the can with a grin. "Score, 30-Love."

Veronica arched her eyebrow at him and hovered near the sink. "Oh, you're so cute. Think I don't have a Plan B?"

Memories of the bong incident threw him for a temporary loop but he recovered nicely. "I would _never_ think that, _Ronnie_."

She narrowed her eyes at him and tapped her fingers on the counter. "You plan on walking out of here in one piece?"

Logan chuckled. "Why, you gonna hand me my head on a platter if I _Ronnie_ you to death?"

"It's not _my_ death I'm worried about." Veronica cast a pointed stare at his groin before flicking her eyes to the knife rack.

He gasped in mock horror. "Please don't geld me. I still have a lot of rides left in me."

She rolled her eyes. "Good to know. Say, do you think you can dispense with the cream and help me clean this mess up?"

Logan tried not to smirk as he bowed down. "Your wish is my command, Madame." He inched closer and when he reached shooting distance, he pumped a perfect circle on each of her breasts. At her cry of outrage, he twisted her into his arms and pulled her onto the counter, where he plucked 2 cherries out of the jar and topped her foam-covered peaks.

"I swear to God…" He cut off her protests with a crushing kiss that left her gasping like a fish. "I'm gonna kill…" Logan's tongue swiped away some cream and flicked across her left nipple. A low moan started in the back of her throat as he sucked her into his mouth and swirled his tongue around her cherry sundae. His toes curled as she dug her fingers into his butt and kneaded, crying out hoarsely when his mouth closed over her other breast and lapped up every last bit of cream. He finished with the cherry between his teeth and offered it to her with a shit-eating grin. Her eyes gleamed as she pinched his ass and giggled when he dropped the cherry between her lips.

He rubbed his butt. "Don't you people believe in trimming your nails?"

"_You_ people?" Veronica mocked with another eye-roll.

"_What_?" Logan waited expectantly and was rewarded with a swipe of her hand.

"You're such a snob," she complained.

"What's it to you?" he shot back. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Veronica's smile stretched tightly across her lips. "_Indeed_." She advanced on his position and bared her teeth when he backed up slightly.

"Hey, I was kidding." Logan almost tripped over Backup, who was polishing off the remains of the vanilla that had dripped to the floor. He skirted around the dog and put the counter between him and the blonde pixie.

"Were you now?" She stopped at the sink and seemed lost in thought, which was scary all by itself.

Logan eyed the slowly melting bowl of chocolate and thought about feeding it to her. "You going to waste all that ice cream?"

"Ah, it's the old 'change the subject' trick. Think that's going to work on me, Joe?"

He snapped his fingers. "It was worth a shot, Nancy."

Veronica beckoned him with a ruby-tipped finger. "C'mere."

Logan held his ground. "Don't think so."

She picked up the bowl and took a bite. "It's _only_ ice cream."

He snickered. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"Hey, you just covered me with whipped cream. What can I possibly do that could compete with that?" Veronica said reasonably, watching his face as she took a few more bites.

Logan took tiny baby steps and stopped behind the dog. "You try anything, Mars, and I'll sic the man killer on you."

Veronica laughed. "Get over here, will ya? It's melting fast."

He slid across the kitchen floor and marveled at the magic of floor wax. "All righty. Give it to me, baby."

"With pleasure." It wasn't until the very last second that his rather slow brain figured it out, but by then, the bowl was upended and a river of chocolate was pouring down on his head. Annoyance warred with anger and finally lost out to amusement. Veronica swiped her finger on his cheek and licked it. With a waggling finger, she said, "You do remember that revenge is a dish best served cold."

Logan groaned. "I did ask for this, didn't I?"

"Sure did. Want me to help you wash up?" she asked sweetly.

He was too uncomfortable to suspect any ulterior motives. "Yeah."

"You sure?" Veronica asked.

Logan nodded and started moving toward the bathroom.

"Hey, Echolls, where you going?" she called.

He turned and was instantly doused with the kitchen sprayer. She laughed through the arc of water and dropped the hose when he jumped at her, catching her around the waist and collapsing to the sticky floor in a jumbled pile of sodden limbs and laughter.

Veronica choked with laughter as he rubbed his face against hers and smeared her with sticky chocolate. "_Uncle_," she cried.

"Little too late for that, V." Logan licked her face and snickered when she tried wriggling out from under him.

"I'll get you back for this," she whispered as his hands streaked her blonde tresses with brown.

He lapped under her chin. "That a promise"

Veronica giggled as he tasted his way down her neck. "Sure is." She suddenly felt a cold nose and looked up to see Backup looming over them. With a doggie grin, he jumped on top of Logan and started licking the back of Logan's head.

Logan's eyes crinkled with humor as he pushed the dog aside. "I like you too, pal, but a three-way isn't in the cards."

"You sure? He taught me everything I know about poker."

He smiled. "_Figures_. Beaten out by a dog. Or is that a--?"

Veronica punched him. "Don't _even_ go there, Joe. You're just a sore loser."

Logan's hands settled on her waist as he nuzzled her nose. "It was _5000_ dollars, Mars."

She scoffed. "That's pocket change to you 09ers."

His laugh was slightly tainted with bitterness. "Not anymore."

Veronica sensed his uneasiness and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey, at least you're in good company, right?"

Logan's eyes softened as he gazed down at her with open adoration. "_Yeah_. So, still want to help me wash up?"

She rolled sideways and extended her hand. "Right this way."

He stared at her fingers. "No tricks?"

Her smile twisted the corners of her mouth. "You'll have to trust me."

Logan took her hand without hesitation. "Always."

The water streamed down on them as they washed each other, her hands scrubbing his hair and trailing the washcloth across his shoulders and down his back. Gentle fingers touched his scars and soft kisses rained apologies on the ruination of his skin. "So sorry," Veronica murmured, her voice masked by the roar of the shower.

Logan's eyes squeezed shut in remembered pain. "Don't be." He stared at the wall and imagined Aaron's mocking face in front of him.

She stepped around to face him. "Not just for that. For not trusting you. For _everything_ I did to you. "

He smiled fondly and touched her cheek. "And I'm sorry I was such a jackass all this past year."

Veronica kissed him lightly and ran her hands up his chest. When her fingers tangled in his necklace, she asked, "Why do you always wear that?"

Logan shrugged. "Mom gave it to me when I was a kid."

"It obviously means a lot to you," she stated softly. "You never take it off."

"We-ll, that's where you're wrong, little lady" he drawled, "I only take it off for _one_ thing." With a flip of his hand, he pretended to toss a hat off his head and knew she got the Burt Reynolds reference from Smokey and the Bandit.

Veronica's blue eyes were luminous and shimmered with tears. "Do you really have to leave town?"

He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, but that was a lie, and they both knew it. "I don't know. _Maybe_."

"I'll miss you." She laid her head on his chest and ignored the lather from his hair as he rinsed out the soap.

"Wish you could come with me." All this truth and honesty was new to him, and he felt the sudden burning need for a drink.

She looked sad as she turned the shower off. "So do I, but Dad would never allow it."

"No kidding." Logan knew he was playing with fire by even being here, but it was his last chance with her, and she was worth the risk of getting caught. He stepped out of the shower and held out his hand, and just as he had in the kitchen, she took it without hesitation. His heart swelled with love at that tiny gesture of utter and complete trust and his throat closed up with emotion. He gazed at her until his eyes burned with tears and only then did he look at the ground, completely eaten up by the moment.

Veronica bumped against Logan as they moved toward the parking lot. "Do you think Duncan is OK?"

Logan kicked at some sand and kept his eyes cast downward. "_Nope_." With a crazy laugh, he scooped a rock off the ground and launched it at a sign.

She sighed as the rock hit with a sharp crack. "I could come with you."

He squeezed her shoulder. "And rub salt in his wounds? Don't think so."

"So you're going to _out_ us?"

The second squeeze was harder. "Something like that."

She slid her arm through his. "He might hurt you."

Logan snorted. "I deserve it for lying to him."

Her brows lowered at his tone. "Then so do I. We're in this together, remember?"

"Yeah." He smiled faintly, but there was no conviction in his voice.

"You don't believe me?"

They reached Duncan's SUV and Logan leaned against the hood. "Sure I do, but this is between Duncan and me."

Veronica's mouth went dry when he put his arms over his head and stretched the thin material of his T-shirt across his chest. With a flaming face, she murmured, "I'm worried about him."

He straightened slightly. "So am I."

She moved closer and smiled when he opened his arms and wrapped them around her waist. "Don't let him beat you up."

"Thanks a lot. What, you don't think I can handle DK?"

Veronica stroked his just-washed hair and marveled at its softness. "He's twice your size."

"Go ahead, rub it in," Logan complained mildly as he caught her hand and kissed it.

She whispered, "Hey, I kind of _like_ your girlish figure."

He giggled and did a half leap in the air. "So _glad_ you approve, girlfriend."

Veronica's hands roamed over his chest. "Hmm, perhaps I was mistaken."

Logan captured her fingers and shoved her back against the car. "Would you care to rectify that?"

She grinned. "_Here_?"

He smirked back and nuzzled her nose. "Bet you'd love that, huh?"

"_Hey_, I'm not the one who's always angling for sex."

Logan touched the side of her face. "So I must have imagined that vixen who launched herself at me?"

Veronica wrinkled her nose. "God, you sound just like Troy Vandegraff."

"See? I learn from the best." His smile faltered slightly. "I should probably get going."

She threaded her fingers through his. "So I'll see you in court?"

"If you promise not to sue me," he countered with a grimace.

The snarky Veronica would have mentioned that the Kanes were taking care of that, but her compassionate side merely said, "It's a deal."

Logan leaned in and kissed her cheek. When she turned her face, his lips skimmed across hers in a slow, wet slide that unfurled the heat in her center and sent it soaring through every part of her. With a moan, she grabbed his hair and opened her mouth wide, letting him taste and explore the roof of her mouth and the ridges of her teeth. He backed off a little to catch his breath and started to say, "Veronica, I lo—"

His words were drowned out by the frantic honking of a horn. She looked over his shoulder and almost groaned at the sight of Wallace. "Hey, Mars, I brought dinner. Do you want to…oh, hey," he muttered uncomfortably when he spotted Logan.

Logan saluted. "I was just leaving." He mouthed an apology and winked at Veronica before escaping into Duncan's car.

Logan parked the Benz and stared up at the neon-fried Camelot sign. It was now the Camel, which he thought was a more appropriate name for a seedy motel in the low-rent district. While some buildings took on a certain dignity at night, the Camelot did no such thing. It was a 24/7 dump, but at least it was predictable (unlike his life).

He closed and locked the car door and trudged up the stairs with a heavy step. When he got to his room, he noticed that the door was ajar and guessed Duncan was beyond caring about much of anything. With a hitch of breath, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dim interior.

Duncan was half sprawled on the bed with the remote in his hand and he grunted in response to Logan's 'hey, dude'. The TV's glow reflected like a blue afterburn, turning his friend's eyes into eerie cat's orbs. With a shiver, Logan moved further into the room and stopped short at the sight of his scattered belongings. "What the fuck?" he muttered, looking between Duncan and the pile of paper and CDs.

"Thought I'd redecorate," Duncan commented idly as he flipped to a sports channel.

Logan started to smile but stopped at the sight of his upended sketchpad. "Umm…DK? What's going on?"

Duncan tossed the remote aside and got to his feet. "Was hoping you could tell _me_. 'Cuz I'm obviously the slow one here."

_Damn_. DK was sober. Better play this straight and true. "How much do you know?"

Duncan reached into his pocket and held up the videotape. "_Everything_. By the way, nice camera angles. Aaron will really appreciate the technical aspects."

_Shit_. "Yeah. Look, I know you're pissed, but—"

Duncan interrupted, "_Pissed_? That's not the half of it."

Logan opened his hands in supplication. "Tell me how I can fix this."

"You _can't._" The words were choked off as Duncan bunched his fists and stepped over a pile of debris. "There's nothing you can offer me, nothing you can say that will make a difference."

"We didn't want to hurt you."

"_Ha_." Duncan moved in so close that their noses almost touched. "I suppose you'll tell me that you couldn't help yourselves, or that forces beyond your control pushed you together. How am I doing?" he growled.

Logan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't like that, DK."

"_Don't _call me that."

He held up his hands. "Whatever you want, dude."

Duncan laughed raggedly. "Whatever I want, huh? OK, how about this? I'll trade you the videotape for Veronica."

Logan snickered. "Yeah, _right_."

His friend crossed his arms. "I'm _so_ not kidding."

He snarked, "What, you expect me to put her up for sale on eBay?"

Duncan's all-American features twisted into a nasty scowl. "I'm not playing games, Logan. It's really very simple. I give you the tape, and you turn your back on Veronica. You tell her you never want to see her again."

Logan hugged himself against the sudden jolt of ice that traveled down his spine. "_No_."

Duncan's mouth twisted. "You might want to reconsider your answer."

Logan rolled his eyes. "And if I don't, you'll do what, turn me in?"

That seemed to take some of the wind out of Duncan's sails. "_Yes_."

Did Duncan honestly think that he gave a crap about any of this? "_Fine_. Do it. Sell it to the highest bidder for all I care."

Duncan's mouth opened slightly. "They'll throw your ass in jail."

"So what? I don't care what happens to me." It was a half-truth, but Duncan was buying it.

"Maybe not, but _she_ does. If you weren't so goddamned self-absorbed, then maybe you'd see that."

"_Aw_, looking out for my best interests, or wait…could it be…_yours_?" Logan snarked.

Duncan shut his mouth with an ominous snap. "What the _fuck_ does that mean?"

Logan laughed. "It means that Veronica Mars _and_ her dog will come after you. Is that what you want, DK? Because you know what? She's not the forgiving type, and I can't see her cutting you any slack."

"_Fuck_ you."

He put his hands in front of his face. "And will you _listen_ to all those f words? What would Celeste say if she heard her precious baby talking trash? Now _that_ would be a Kodak moment."

"So help me…" Duncan's fingers bunched up and he glared into Logan's eyes.

"What, you gonna hit me? Go ahead. Take your best shot. I have nothing to lose." He opened his arms and beckoned with his finger. With another grin, he added, "But do me a favor? Punch me where it won't show."

A ripple of emotion crossed Duncan's face and he stepped backward. "_Nope_. Not gonna stoop to your level. This is _exactly_ what she predicted."

"She?"

Duncan looked at the ceiling and back at his feet. "Lilly came to see me. She said this would backfire, and now that I'm standing here and it's happening in real time, I know it wasn't a dream."

Veronica and Wallace noshed on pizza and caught up. "So you and Echolls, huh?"

Leave it to her bff to bring up the very subject she wanted to avoid. "_Yeah_."

"Does your Dad know?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Not yet."

He smiled. "Don't worry, V, your secret's safe with me."

She grinned back. "Good thing it was you and not your Mom who popped in."

Wallace sighed. "She wouldn't have ratted you out."

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"Uh-uh. Mom's pretty cool about stuff like that, only…she's real good at dropping the guilty card on my head."

"And mine too?"

Wallace laughed uncomfortably at this reminder of their Mom and Dad's relationship. "You can count on it. So, what about Duncan?"

Her fork froze between her salad and her mouth. "What about him?"

He rolled his eyes at her obvious dodge. "He can't be too happy about this."

She shook her head. "Duncan asked me to give him another chance. I told him I'd think about it."

"For what, about two seconds?" Wallace countered mildly.

Veronica knew he was right. "I'm not the same person, and try as I might, I can't go back."

"And you think Echolls fills the bill?"

Logan was exactly what she needed right now. "Yes."

He flashed her a dubious glance. "If you say so."

Veronica tapped her fork on her plate. "I do. Now do you mind if we change the subject? I'd love to hear how things are going with that new girl at the Sac and Pac."

Wallace coughed in embarrassment. "You know what? It's getting kind of late. Why don't we turn the movie on?"

She nodded with a laugh. "OK, bff, but sooner of later, you're going to spill your guts."

He turned on the TV and inserted the DVD. "Don't think so, Mars."

"Whatever you say, Sodapop." With a grin, the credits from _The Outsiders_ flashed on the screen and they took up their respective spots on the sofa.

Duncan shoved the tape back in his pocket. "Why did you lie to me? You're supposed to be my best friend."

Logan shifted his weight nervously. "_What_, you don't have any secrets?"

He pointed his finger. "_Don't_ turn this around on me. This is about _her_. You knew how I felt, but you went after her anyway."

"Dude, I hate to break it to you, but _you_ dumped _her_."

Duncan retorted, "I thought she was my _sister_. What would you have done?"

Logan retreated to a comfortable distance and leaned against the wall. "For starters? I would have told her the truth."

He laughed raggedly. "Or Celeste's _version_ of the truth."

"_Whatever_, the point is, you owed her an explanation and you never gave her one."

Duncan blinked back tears. "I was trying to protect her. Is that so wrong?"

Logan smiled tightly. "No, but Veronica's a tough girl, D. Sooner or later, she would have figured it out."

Moisture blurred his eyes. "God, I'm such an idiot. She said she'd give me a chance…told me that she cared about me, and I actually believed her."

"It _wasn't_ a lie, DK. You _were_ the love of her life. That doesn't fade away completely."

Duncan didn't miss the past tense. "Yeah, well, none of that matters now, does it?"

Logan leaped away from the wall and skipped to the bed. "Of _course_ it matters. You think I'm over Lilly? I'll always love her."

He sighed. "Even with all the shit she pulled?"

Logan dipped his head and swiped at his eyes. "She's dead, man. What's the point in hating her?

"Then you're a better person than me."

Logan scoffed. "_Hardly_. I only go around drugging my friends and bashing in headlights. And when I'm not committing felonies, I jump off bridges."

Duncan's smile won out over his frown. "Are my ears deceiving me, or was there an apology in the middle of that tirade?"

"Maybe." Logan looked at the mess and raised an eyebrow. "You've certainly been busy."

"I was kind of drunk." He pointed to the flask with a shrug.

"On _my_ Cuervo? Thanks a _lot_, dude. That was the last of my stash."

He replied, "I'm sure Monique will buy you some more."

"Dear, _sweet_ Aunt Money. Did she take care of you?" Logan flounced on the bed and leered up at Duncan.

Duncan sighed. "She's a lunatic. Did you know she shot someone?"

Logan smiled proudly, "Yup. Nancy Drew googled her name and we got all kinds of dirt on her."

"Not surprising. She's bipolar."

Logan laughed. "We _all_ have our issues. And coming from the loins of Dave Lester? I'm not surprised that she's got a few screws loose."

"You make it sound like a virtue."

His friend giggled nervously. "Maybe it is. And hey, now you can add your crazy branch to the Kane family tree."

He wasn't in a joking mood. "I'm _not_ crazy."

"_OK, _dude. _Whatever_. It's just…when you talk about Lilly coming to see you, it sounds a little out there, you know?"

Duncan chewed on the inside of his cheek for a second. "I'm telling you, man, I _saw_ her."

Logan grabbed the flask and tossed it between his hands. "And the Cuervo had _nothing_ to do with it."

His breath hissed out. "Lilly was _here._"

Logan tucked his fingers in his pockets and nodded his head. "I _believe_ you."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "I just told you that I saw a ghost. Most people would freak out and head for the hills."

Logan ducked his head with a smile. "Who knows? Maybe I saw her too."

"You trying to be funny?"

"Nope."

"When did you see her?" Duncan folded his hands together and took up position on the far edge of the bed.

"A few times…here and there. Always figured it was the booze, you know?"

"Yeah. Tell me about it." Duncan rubbed the throbbing vein in his temple and cursed the hangover gods.

"So, dude, you're supposed to beat the shit out of me. What gives?" Logan framed the comment as a joke but the bleakness in his voice was a dead giveaway.

"I'm saving it for my parents," Duncan intoned flatly.

"Ah, what has the lovely Celeste done now?" Logan sniped.

"Besides deluding and drugging me? I can't think of a thing." Duncan fought to push back his anger, but it overtook the small measure of calmness that Lilly's visit had brought.

Logan said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Duncan acknowledged his friend's words with a curt nod. "I'm starting to wonder if it was all an elaborate plot to keep me in the dark."

"What do you mean?"

"It all dates back to Lilly's death. I had this blackout, and next thing I know, they've diagnosed me with epilepsy. And after that, it seemed like she shoved pills in my face for the slightest thing. But you know what? I'm _over_ it now, and I'm not going to put up with her shit."

Logan held up a hand. "Dude, I totally hear what you're saying, but what if the epilepsy is real?"

"It _can't_ be" Duncan put his head in his hands and sighed. "I don't _want_ it to be."

"But you're still on your meds, right?" Logan asked quietly.

He sighed again. "_Yeah_."

"Listen, why don't you get a second opinion?"

Duncan had never thought that far ahead. "That's a good idea."

"I can probably get you a few names."

"Thanks." His fingers dropped to his pocket and closed over the tape's square shape. "Oh, I should probably give this back to you." Duncan fished the tape out and held it in the palm of his hand.

Logan's looked at the ground as he retrieved the tape. "Emotional blackmail, huh?"

"Yeah. It was a stupid idea. Sorry."

"Actually, it was kind of inspired…for _you_."

Duncan smacked Logan's shoulder lightly. "Oh, and I suppose you have a _better_ plan?"

Logan smirked. "What, you think I would tell _you_ and let you use it against me?

Duncan rolled his eyes. "So we're cool?"

His friend nodded. "Of course."

"No more lies?"

"Nope."

Duncan watched Logan's fingers whiten around the tape. "You still plan on sending that to him?"

Logan's lips thinned with barely concealed anger. "Hell, yes."

"But what if he gets out? He could use it against you."

Logan laughed unpleasantly. "Are you kidding? It flies in the face of the Echolls publicity machine. Bad publicity could ruin Aaron's good name, and we can't have that. He'll gather his loving family around him and show his best face to the public."

Duncan heard the raw pain behind the snark. "Maybe he won't get out. Maybe they'll send him away to San Quentin."

Logan snickered. "He'd have the time of his life. Imagine the fireworks if they partnered him up with Charlie Manson."Aaron had once auditioned for the lead role in Helter Skelter and been turned away.

He laughed. "Now _that_ would be a marriage made in heaven. Think you'll ever visit him?"

Logan's nostrils flared. "No fucking way. He's a sick fuck and deserves to die for his crimes. If they fry him, I'll be the first in line to witness that happy event."

Duncan shrunk back slightly at his vehemence. "You and me both," he averred in a muted tone. "So, I'll try to make it tomorrow."

"Thanks, but it's not necessary." Logan jammed his fingers in his pocket and drew out the keys to Duncan's Benz. With a left-handed toss, he flipped them across to Duncan. "You good to drive?"

"I think so." Duncan took one last look at the mess and shook his head. "Sorry I flipped out."

Logan smiled benevolently. "As Lilly would say, it was about fucking time, dude."

Duncan ignored the undercurrent of anger behind his friend's words and clapped his hand on Logan's shoulder. "See you soon."


	6. Chapter 6

The paparazzi swarmed around the courthouse like vultures. You would think it was the second coming of Christ instead of an ordinary hearing for underage drinking. Logan parked the Xterra a few blocks away and hoofed it the rest of the way. When he got to the corner, he bought a newspaper and hid his face behind it as he walked. It only worked until he hit the parking lot, and by then, they'd figured out who the mystery guy was. With a mad dash, he darted around them and headed for the side door, where Cliff McCormack waited with a dumpy looking woman in a badly cut red suit. Logan made it through with seconds to spare and the door slammed in their faces, cutting off an irate reporter and a budding videographer with a Metallica tattoo. "Whee," Logan said, clapping his hands and grinning at the two suits. "You must be Stella. So _nice_ to meet you." He extended his hand and almost had it snapped off at the wrist by her brisk handshake.

"You're _late_," Stella retorted crossly.

Cliff pasted on a fake smile as they fell into line behind her. "We lucked out."

Logan muttered, "How's that?"

"Judge Dempsey is on a fishing trip and his replacement is known to be lenient."

"Huh. What about the iron maiden?" He jerked his thumb at Stella, who was half a hallway ahead of them.

"She's the best in the state. Your aunt must have some clout to have Stella at her beck and call."

Logan shrugged. "Maybe. Have you seen her anywhere?"

Cliff nodded. "Sure did. She waltzed in here about fifteen minutes ago in her leathers."

"W-what?" Logan sputtered, bursting into laughter when he saw Monique in the back row, booted feet perched on the back of the chair in front of her. "Christ, I'm really in trouble."

"Told you she was a brat."

Logan smiled. "And she's here to speak on my behalf?" He searched the courtroom for Veronica and saw her huddled in the corner with her father.

"Nope. We're leaving that to Stella and Veronica Mars."

"So why do they need you?"

Cliff sighed. "Someone's got to file the paperwork."

"That's _so_ reassuring. Remind me to thank you when they lead me away in chains."

"Are you always such a drama queen?"

Logan clicked his heels three times. "Wouldn't my Daddy be proud?"

Cliff rolled his eyes. "Along with half the prison population at Rock Mountain."

He laughed. "So what's my damage, Cliffie?"

The lawyer wisely ignored Logan's jab. "Standard counseling and rehab, and if you're lucky, they'll let you go out of state."

Leaving Neptune was no hardship, but leaving Veronica would tear him to pieces. "My aunt's idea, right?"

"Who knows? Monique hasn't spoken to anyone but Stella since she arrived."

Logan spotted Duncan sliding into the seat next to Monique and kept quiet. "Guess she's keeping a low profile."

Cliff snorted. "_Her_? She's an even bigger queen than you."

He half-smiled at the lawyer. "I'm totally _flattered_, dude."

Cliff threw him a strange look and laughed oddly. "Think you can keep it under wraps for the next hour?"

Logan winked at the lawyer. "Sure thing, sugar."

Duncan strolled into the courtroom and took a seat next to Logan's aunt.

Monique looked surprised to see him. "Thought you weren't coming," she said bluntly.

"I changed my mind."

She nodded like she understood. "He needs his friends right now."

Duncan replied, "Logan also needs his family."

Monique looked down for a second before flashing him a dazzling smile. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm here for him."

"I'd say it's worth a lot." Logan had been cast adrift by his worthless family, and the Lesters might be the only thing standing between him and a foster home.

She looked at him sharply. "Please don't go all Hallmark on me."

"I wasn't trying to—"

Monique interrupted, "Your first impression of me was correct. I am a selfish, _crazy_ bitch. Run while you can."

Duncan laughed. "God, the two of you are so much alike that it's not funny."

She raised an eyebrow. "In what way?"

The woman was obviously blind when it came to her own kin. "In every way. He might not look like you, but the rest is like a reflection."

Monique smiled softly. "He is the spitting image of my father at that age."

"Are the two of you close?" Duncan was curious about the mysterious Lester clan and their East coast ways.

"We didn't used to be, but he's mellowed a bit in his old age."

"Or maybe you've changed," he suggested.

She snorted. "_Hardly_. I'm the same girl that got dragged through the justice system and had the Lester name splashed in every tabloid in my prime."

Duncan looked down at her camera case. "So now you're making headlines of a different kind."

"Perhaps. Ah, it's show time. Here comes the judge."

Veronica's body went rigid when Judge Peterson made her entrance and everyone rose to their feet. Maybe she wasn't the gone fishin' judge, but she still looked plenty stern. With a sigh, she sank back down and listened to the proceedings. Don Lamb was the first person up and he recounted the roadside incident with a smarmy look on his mug. The judge asked some basic questions about uncapped bottles or obvious signs of drunkenness and Lamb flushed a few shades of red as he said no, merely saying that Logan had flunked a Breathalyzer test and given him major attitude. The judge made some notes on her pad and then it was Veronica's turn to give her account.

"Will you please state your name for the record?"

"Veronica Mars." Her voice echoed oddly in the cavernous room and she suddenly felt like Alice in Wonderland shrunken down to tiny Veronica size.

"Veronica, can you please explain what happened on the night of June 20th?"

"I was sitting in my car at the Dog Beach parking lot and was about to take a walk. I suddenly spotted Logan's car and he called me over to talk."

"This was someone who gave you a lot of grief in the past," the judge pointed out. "Why would you want to give him the time of day?"

Of course the judge had done her homework. Would she expect nothing less of an officer of the court? "Things changed recently. We became more friendly after I tried to find his mother and…we started dating." Veronica felt Logan's steady brown gaze light on her face and managed not to stare back. They had technically never gone on a date before yesterday, but that was nobody's business but their own.

"But didn't you have a falling out recently?" The judge looked at her father and Veronica sighed inwardly.

She nodded. "Logan lied about his alibi and I was forced to turn evidence over to Sheriff Lamb."

Judge Peterson looked down at her notes and peered out at Logan and Cliff. "Most relationships wouldn't survive that. Were you trying to mend things?"

"Yes, there were many things we needed to say."

"So you went with him, knowing he had been drinking, and leaving your dog behind in a closed car."

Veronica wanted no reminders of her past sins, but she had to move past this. "Yes, but I took his keys away from him and drove his car."

"May I ask why you parked in a breakdown lane?" Judge Peterson looked over her glasses at Veronica and she could swear she saw a sparkle break through the judge's serious mien.

"I wasn't thinking, your honor. Whenever I'm faced with an emotional crisis, I tend to block out the real world and focus on the problem."

"Veronica, would you say that the prescription drugs you were on might have impaired your judgment?"

She closed her eyes for a second and wondered who was on trial here. "Maybe. I don't know."

The judge nodded and scribbled another note. "So you talked for awhile and Sheriff Lamb happened to spot your car. How did he handle that?"

Veronica saw Lamb shift in his seat and wondered if the judge was about to hand his head to him. "He ordered us out of the car and made inappropriate comments. He also threatened bodily harm on Logan and I reminded him about his on-board video camera."

"So, would you say that he used excessive force?"

"Not exactly,"

"But the threat was there," the judge suggested.

"Maybe." Veronica shrugged.

Peterson took off her glasses. "I know it's hard to believe, but I used to be young once, and I did a lot of stupid things. This definitely falls into that category, Miss Mars. Your father has argued against community service, but I still feel it might do you some good to get away from the agency every so often. So I'm assigning you to 2 hours a week at the Neptune Food Bank for the rest of the summer." The judge banged down her gavel and looked at Logan. "Would you mind coming up here, Mr. Echolls?"

Logan had listened to Veronica's testimony with clenched fingers and an icy fist around his heart. Between his hatred for Lamb and the circumstances that forced them to dredge up painful memories, he was ready to go off on someone. It helped that the judge wasn't a bitch on wheels, but it wasn't enough. She also knew stuff about that night on the Coronado Bridge that he hadn't discussed with anyone. After she had him state his name and he sat down, he steeled himself for an emotional onslaught.

"Logan, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm asking all these questions that seem to have nothing to do with your case."

"The thought did occur to me," he replied carefully.

"I've spoken to a lot of people in the last few days. When your case came up, I asked the other judge if I could shadow this case," Peterson smiled and then he remembered who she was. Peterson was an 09'er who'd spent a lot of time doing charity work with his Mom.

"I see."

"I wanted to get a complete picture of what's going on in your life. You've faced more emotional trauma in the past year and a half than most people face in their lifetime," Peterson said sadly.

He dropped his gaze for a moment and asked, "And did you find what you were looking for?"

Peterson shrugged. "Not exactly. You're a complicated young man with a history of fighting and drinking. Add emotional instability to the mix and you're a ticking time bomb."

"Would that be C-4 or Semtex?" Logan cracked, thinking that the emotional instability could also apply to Duncan.

Peterson hid a smile behind her hands and coughed. "A lot of people are worried about you, Logan, and I'm sure your mother would prefer that you not follow in her footsteps."

He felt the sweat break out on his forehead and avoided Veronica's concerned stare. "Me too."

"Help is out there, Logan, but you need to meet people halfway. Are you willing to do that?" Peterson asked kindly.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied evenly.

"If I followed California law, I'd assign you to an intensive rehab and counseling program. Under normal circumstances, that would work just fine, but without a legal guardian, your situation is rather precarious."

Logan smiled wanly. "But you're making an exception, right?"

Peterson nodded. "At your aunt's request, I've temporarily assigned her as guardian. She will transport you to your grandfather's home on Martha's Vineyard. At that point, your grandfather will decide where to send you, but your aunt has given her word that you will receive treatment."

Fucking great. They were sending him off with his crazy aunt to some godforsaken place with frigid ocean water. "Sounds great," Logan offered with a patently fake smile. "For how long?"

"The rest of the summer or longer. Under the circumstances, it'll probably do you good to get away for awhile."

Maybe she was right. He had been headed out of town when he ran into Veronica and changed his plans to stay with her. Maybe if he had followed his instincts, he wouldn't have messed up her life with his problems laid on top of hers. Logan nodded and sighed when she rested her gavel on the bench. As he moved away from the witness box, Cliff motioned him over and said, "Judge Peterson wants to see you in her chambers."

Logan rolled his eyes. "What, she's not done skewering me yet?"

"Look, kid, I'd say you got off pretty lightly. It might sound like nothing to go out of state, but it took a lot of persuasion to get the judge to agree to this. She might have been your mother's friend, but she doesn't grant favors to _anyone_."

He watched Stella approach his aunt and nodded. "So what changed her mind?"

Cliff made sure Stella was out of earshot before he muttered, "You didn't hear this from me, but I'm pretty sure a very large sum of money was donated to Peterson's favorite charity."

Logan guffawed at Monique's cojones but kept his thoughts about bribing judges to himself. "Nice to know my family's looking out for me."

Cliff smiled thinly. "Well, you know what they say, every cat has nine lives. I think you've wasted most of yours. Don't blow it this time."

"Gee, _thanks_," he countered sarcastically. Cliff offered his hand and Logan clasped it back with a steel grip.

The lawyer made a face and headed in the opposite direction, leaving Logan to wonder what the judge wanted now.

Veronica stood at the judge's window and jumped when Logan stepped through the door. "Hey," she said tensely, thinking it was strange that Judge Peterson wanted to talk to them privately.

"Any idea what she wants?" Logan cut straight to the chase and stuck his fingers into the edge of his trousers.

"Not a clue."

Logan stepped closer and she caught a whiff of his citrusy aftershave. "Not even for me, Nancy?"

Veronica shook her head. "Sorry, Joe, I'm fresh out of ideas."

His gentle fingers touched her cheek. "Now who's scamming who?"

There was so much to say, but their time really was running out. With a faint smile, she changed the subject and said, "I was surprised to see Duncan in the back row."

Logan rested his other hand on her shoulder and stroked the edges of her hair. "So was I."

"Did you guys work things out?" Veronica asked, staring up at his sad smile and feeling her heart being ripped away at the seams.

He shrugged. "I think we have an understanding."

"That's good, right?"

"It's a start." Logan slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. When he dropped his face and touched her forehead with his, Veronica almost lost it and started bawling. But for his sake, she smiled bravely and kissed both sides of his mouth.

"And this is a finish," she murmured, her sigh lost as he kissed her back full force, pushing her around the judge's desk and collapsing into the swivel chair, which spun as their tongues swirled and their teeth bit at each other.

When their world stopped spinning and they came up for breath, he nipped her ear and whispered, "Only to this chapter."

The End

AN: This story will continue in a planned sequel, Free at Last (taking on the old title of this story) that will deal with Logan's family.


End file.
